The Benefit of the Doubt
by Mrs Jace Wayland-Herondale
Summary: When Maryse becomes irritated with Clary's training, she makes the decision to find a new trainer for Clary. The new shadowhunter seems to bring a sense of unease to Clary, but she cannot find a cause. Who is this new trainer, and why is she so reluctant to talk about herself? Will this fierce new shadowhunter pose a threat to Clace? POSSIBLE COLS SPOILERS. Clace, Sizzy, Malec, OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! If you're reading this, then thank you so much! This is my first fanfic and i have been playing around with this idea for a while now(: So please, just give my story a shot, i promise its not absolutely horrible! If you like it, review, give some suggestions, follow, whatever! I'll appreciate anything ya give me! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any characters from TMI ): Cassie Clare is the genius that created these awesome characters-i'm just manipulating the characters and story for fun C:**

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"Focus Clary!" Jace shouts. Delayed, Clary's slim body flexes and pulls herself to the side in an attempt to dodge him, but not quickly enough. He grabs her by the waist and tackles her down to the padded mat in the training room.

"Oomph," exhales Clary, the wind effectively knocked out of her. Pinned under Jace's glistening, half-naked body, Clary tries in vain not to stare. This is my boyfriend._ Sexy, and smart._

"I know, I know," Jace brags, as if reading her mind, "My sweaty rock hard abs are enough to make anybody swoon-men and women alike." _Did I forget to mention cocky?_ Clary thinks with a rueful smile.

Clary rolls her eyes, and in his moment of distraction, she deftly flips them so that she is pinning him down, straddling his hips, with her hands pushing his shoulders into the ground.

"Gotcha," she whispers and leans down, millimeters from his face, and brushes his lips with hers before abruptly pulling back and pushing his shoulders down hard for emphasis. "I do pay more attention than you may think," Clary snickers as she moves to get up and continue the training session.

"I, for one think that we've had enough training for today," Jace snakes his arms around her waist and pulls her back to him.

"But Jace-" Clary tries to argue, but her hard-headed boyfriend will have none of that and smoothly cuts her off with a peck on her lips. Surprised, Clary pulls back to get a better look at her other half.

Eyes clouded with love and longing, Jace gently pulls her face up to his, connecting their lips in a sweet embrace. Their lips fit together, like a specially crafted puzzle. His lips curved perfectly to hers, firm but gentle.

Slowly running his hands up and down her back, Jace trails his lips from her warm mouth up along her jaw line, stopping only to whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

Jace pulls back and stares intently into Clary's eyes, searching for something she can't figure out. She returns his gaze with a smile and runs her hand through his wavy golden locks. "What are you thinking?" Clary asks with a demure smile and a peck on his cheek.

"Mmm," Jace sighs with a mischievous grin, "Well I was thinking..." He pauses dramatically, only annoying Clary further.

"C'mon Jace, just tell me," Clary pouts. This only seems to flip on the sarcasm switch in his mind.

"Nope!" he laughs at her frown and uses his thumb to smooth the small wrinkle that forms between her brows. "Don't pout my dear, it's not the end of the world."

"Jace," Clary pleads with her green puppy-dog eyes that always crack his resolve. At this point, Jace scoops Clary up off of him and cradles her in his lap, trying to please her.

"I love you, Clarissa Adele Fray," Jace says with all the tenderness in the world.

"Jace," Clary whispers, now holding Jace's face in her hands, "I lo-"

"Shh, I know," Jace murmurs and leans forward to kiss her once more.

As their lips reconnect, a spark surges through them both, and the kiss becomes urgent and passionate. A low growl bubbles up from Jace's throat and he moves them so he is once again pinning her down. Clary's hands roam over his body, memorizing every muscle on his chest and abdomen. All rational thoughts flew from her head as he moved his lips along her jaw and down to her neck, barely brushing her collar-bone.

An annoyed "ahem" sounds from the training room entrance. Maryse stands there looking highly annoyed by the two young shadowhunters._ Always wasting their time, acting like mundane children._

Being new to the world of shadowhunting, Clary especially needed to spend extra time training to catch up with the Lightwoods. As skilled as she has become in such short time, she still has so much to learn. How to use a Sensor, how to wield a kindjal, or throw an angel blade. Working a stele and a seraph blade was only the beginning.

"Gear up and meet Alec and Isabelle in the church," said Maryse in a short, impatient voice.

Jace quickly, but carefully untwined himself from Clary and gracefully rises to his feet, his hand never leaving the small of her back.

"What's going on?" Jace asks with a spark in his eyes, and an eager bounce in his step. Maryse leaves the training room, heels clicking down the hall. The only indication that they should follow comes when the click-clacking abruptly stops.

"Demonic activity in Brooklyn," Maryse says as the young couple hustle after her. "Hurry up. Alec will fill you in on the rest." And with that, she starts to enter the massive library, but turns in the doorway as if remembering something.

"Jace. I'd like to speak with you after you return, about an important matter," Maryse announces with an obvious look at Clary. She turns and dismisses them with a simple wave.

_Just freaking great._ Clary swears silently to herself, knowing this conversation will be about her training, or lack thereof. _Hopefully she won't send me back to live with my mom and Luke. The Institute is my home._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry that these have been so short, when i typed them up on my phone, the looked a lot longer! Plus, this entry was supposed to go along with chapter 1. Anyways, please read and review any comments, questions, suggestions, whatever! Thanks for taking your time to read my story (:**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do NOT own TMI or any of the characters, I just get to play with them to make fanfic. Cassie Clare is the genius who created these awesome characters. **

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Even after having time to cool down, Clary still couldn't remove the thoughts of Jace from her mind's eye. His lips, and the way he kissed her without any care in the world. His golden halo of hair, and how she would twine her fingers into it. The golden pools of light in his eyes that danced with fire every time they kissed.

Geared up and ready to go, Clary heads towards the elevator with a sigh. She wanted nothing more than to stay locked away with Jace, letting their bodies do the talking. A good fight would have to suffice for the time being.

Walking into the cathedral with a secretive grin on her face apparently wasn't in her best interest.

"Look who we have here!" yelled Isabelle with a devious grin. _Oh God. Here we go_.

Blushing, Clary faltered in her step. Everyone was standing there, waiting on her. Jace included. He just smiled at her lovingly, knowing that he was the cause of her goofy grin. He gave her the confidence to keep her chin up and march directly towards him without a glance at the others.

"Attitude. It looks good on you," Isabelle praised with a proud look on her face. "I taught you well!"

The gears in Jace's eyes started turning instantly, and his sarcastic remark was just as fast. "_You_ taught her? Please. We all know that _I'm_ the king of self-confidence!" exclaimed Jace with his arms wide and his face serious.

His eyes though, they gave away what he really thought. That is, if they weren't hard and guarded, trying to keep people out. But now they churned with sarcasm and, well, they were just_ Jace._

Jace promptly turned and sauntered to the chapel doors with enough confidence for all the residents at the Institute; He would never let any anyone else have the last word.

Eye brows raised, Alec just shook his head and proceeded to follow Jace, mumbling about how they didn't need weapons to fight demons, just Jace's ego.

"C'mon little love bird. Better get a move on." Izzy sighed and the remaining two young shadowhunters followed the boys outside into the foggy New York night.


	3. Chapter 3

**So far, this is my longest chapter yet! 1k words! Its not a lot, but its still very important to me (: Soooooo...please r&r what you think or any suggestions/comments you have! Happy reading(:**

**Disclaimer: I still dont own TMI. I still wish i did though! All rights belong to Cassie Clare!**

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The air was crisp outside, with an icy wind chill coming off the canal. The young shadowhunters, cloaked in the standard leather gear, shivered as they made their way towards the abandoned grain terminal. The looming building cast ominous shadows in the dim moonlight. The fog surrounding the area was thicker than the sludge in the canal; It was hard to see a hand extended a foot ahead.

Somewhere in the shadows demons lurked, waiting for unsuspecting prey. Despite being well prepared and trained, the old ruins still gave Clary a very uneasy feeling, sending shivers down her spine.

"What is this place?" Clary whispered. It seemed as if speaking too loud, or moving too fast would unleash something horrible. The air vibrated with tension and kept everyone on edge.

"An old grain terminal. It was built around 1918 to store grain that was shipped from the Erie Canal. But now it's been abandoned for over 50 years," Alec explained in a hushed tone. He left it at that, never one to chat much. Or maybe it was because of the tension in the air that put everyone on edge; you could cut it with a butter knife.

Jace, however, could never shut up. Talking was just one of many tactics he used to gain the spotlight. "Great place for drug deals!" Jace said cheerily, and threw an arm around Clary and pulled her closer. He seemed to be oblivious to the tense surroundings, but Clary knew Jace better than that. He was alert and watching, keeping his eyes open for any surprise thrown his way.

Grateful for his arm around her, Clary nuzzled closer to Jace's side. He made her feel so safe in the chaos that was her new life. The life of a shadow hunter, a warrior. A life of excitement. A life fighting alongside the Lightwood siblings. A life with Jace. _This is my life, _Clary muses with a small smile.

An ear-splitting crack brings Clary back to focus in an instant. _Damn it. Gotta stay focused_, Clary curses to herself. Focus is the key to staying in control, as Jace showed her during training earlier. Daydreaming leads to defeat, which usually leads to death. The crack sounds again, and Clary remembers hearing the whipping sound, and a sense of _deja-vu _washes over Clary. A memory resurfaces, from the day she saw a human-looking demon being slayed in Pandemonium. The day her mother had been kidnapped, and Clary was almost killed. That day had brought terror and confusion to Clary's normal life, but it also introduced her to the world of shadow hunting; the world she belongs in.

As they approach the building, seraph blades, bows, and whips are drawn with the intention to kill. Alec whispers fierce instructions that they already all knew: Kill, and watch your back.

The crumbling old building was shadowed and it was hard to see in the dim moonlight, which explains why a Ravener demon seemed to just appear directly in front of Clary. Its large barbed tail whipped toward Clary's legs, but she deftly jumped over it and steps out of range to name her seraph blade. "Camael," Clary screams, plunging her seraph blade down on the creature's horrid, domed skull. Just like that, it disappeared from this world, back to wherever the hell it came from._ Good riddance, ugly. _

Jace glances over to Clary with an ear to ear grin. "Nice one, Fray," Jace chuckles, "ready to kick some ass?"

"Oh you know it," Clary shoots back with a devious grin, "try to keep up, Wayland." Her mocking tone only made his beautiful smile widen even more.

Jace and Alec lead the way into the rotting building, with Isabelle and Clary flanking them with weapons in hand. As usual, Isabelle was dressed to kill; literally. Her leather pants hugged her every curve, making it seem impossible to move the way she does. The gear belt that they all wore was garnished with multiple daggers and seraph blades, but Izzy preferred her specially crafted _adamas _whip that curled around her wrist. Isabelle was always dressed to the nines, and Clary often went to her for advice on fashion. Her equally handsome older brother, Alec, was the oldest of them all, and he always led the hunts with his _parabatai _by his side. With his bow in hand, Alec let arrows fly, never missing his target. The demons seemed to be coming from deep within the building, so the four tensed for fight, and went in head first.

As a Ravener demon skitters towards her, Clary smiles and eliminates the threat with great ease. The familiar surge of adrenaline fills her body from head to toe, heightening all of her senses. Eyes as sharp as a hawk, Clary can see the shapes in the shadows that she wouldn't have been able to see before. Every little noise, every shift in movement did not go unnoticed; none of these demons could get a jump on her. Clary could even differentiate between the putrid smell from each demon. She flits around on light feet, effectively slaying demon after demon, losing herself to her killer instincts. Clary slays demon after demon, paying no attention to anything else; her killer instincts have taken over.

Senses heightened by the thrill of the fight, Clary hears the low hiss of a Scorpio from a distance. She makes her way towards the sound, turning corners and hunting to kill. She quickly turns into an empty room, only to find herself face to face with the ugly creature, closer than expected. Jumping back, Clary prepares to feign an attack, but the intelligent demon senses her move and attacks. Clary dodges and rolls to the side, but the monkey-like hands of the Scorpios demon catches her ankle and drags her back. Struggling, Clary thrusts a dagger into the monster, but that only makes it rear back with an aggravated hiss. Clary frees herself, but she is not quick enough to clear the path of the creature's poisonous tail. The scorpion-like stinger whips towards her as if in slow motion and she knows it is going to strike her square in the chest. That amount of poison so close to the heart is fatal, not to mention excruciatingly painful and slow. Pulling her arms up in one last feeble attempt of self-preservation, Clary squeezes her eyes shut, and sees Jace one last time before the pain blossoms through her body. Clary fades into unconsciousness with her angel on her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Heyooooo! So. I got some messages about chapter 3 and it seemed like some of you were getting antsy about Clary's "accident". Lol. Well i hope this helps at least a bit, or give some more hope maybe! There's 2 parts, one from Jace's point of view and one from Clary's! Enjoy(: R&R please!**

**PS: I forgot to mention in the summary that this story takes place after City of Lost Souls! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from TMI, the amazing Cassie Clare does! I just make stories with her characters to entertain others(:**

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**Jace's Point-of-View**

Minutes after entering the building, Jace had already killed twice as many demons as his _parabatai_. They kept coming, and he kept killing. _That's how this is supposed to work_, Jace thinks, with a smirk on his perfectly chiseled face. Jace Lightwood was well-known throughout the younger generation of shadowhunters. He was practically a legend; the best shadowhunter of his time. He himself even liked to believe that he was invincible.

Turning to see how Clary was faring, Jace's smile falters. She is not where she was to his right, only a moment ago. Quickly spinning and scanning the room, he sees no sign of Clary's mane of red curls. Clary was an outstanding shadowhunter-with what little training she has had. She was good, but not invincible. He sprints to the nearest room in an attempt to find her,and only finds it empty. Now his heart is hammering in his throat, desperate to find Clary. Jace checks room after room, only disappointed to find it empty every time. _God, how could i be so stupid? I should have watched her better! What if she's hurt? _Running down the main corridor, Jace slows down and thinks for a second. Panicking is not going to get him anywhere, so he draws a rune for clarity. The effect is instantaneous: Jace can now think clearly without fear and worry clouding his mind. Taking a deep breath, Jace closes his eyes and listens intently. The fight that he left Izzy and Alec to take care of, the occasional scurry of a rat, the _drip dripping_ of the recent showers that leaked into he building. Listening and slowly walking through the halls seemed almost pointless- he couldn't find anything that would help him find Clary. About to give up and call for Alec and Izzy to help him, Jace freezes in his tracks. Listening again to be sure, he hears the definite hiss of a Scorpios Demon. Jace had only fought a handful of Scorpios demons, and they had all been tough adversaries. Clary is much different though-she has only trained for a couple of months, while as Jace has been in training for years.

Jace runs in the direction that the noises are coming from, heart pounding once again. As he crosses the threshold of a large cavernous room, he sees the wrinkled Scorpios demon, its monkey-like hands raised in anger. The stinger of the creature was also pulled back, tensing to strike. _Clary. _As if in slow motion, the stinger comes down towards Clary's chest at the same moment that a dagger slides deep into the demons back. Without realizing it, Jace had thrown the dagger, thus killing the demon. It disappears in a flash, leaving the dagger to clatter to the floor, but Jace fears that he is too late. He fears that Clary has already been stung.

"Clary!" Jace screams and falls to his knees beside her small, crumpled body. She is laying there, a fragile china doll that has been carelessly tossed to the side. Scooping her into his strong arms, he finds that she is barely breathing and promptly checks her for any signs of injury. The hole in the front of her gear was answer enough."Alec! Isabelle!" Jace screams at the top of his lungs, needing help. All of the worst scenarios play through his head. The poison paralyzing her. Clary leaving him because he wasn't there to protect her. Clary dying ..._No. No, I can't think that way. She's going to be fine. She's strong. _She looks as if she is simply sleeping-all traces of pain and fear absent from her face.

"Clary," he whispers in a heavy, pleading voice, "please. Please wake up." Jace lets out a sob and leans down to cradle her closer to him. "I love you, Clary." Jace whispers to her as her fragile little heart slows and beats one last time.

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**Clary's Point-of-View**

_"Clary!"_

_Someone is calling her name, but the sound is slow and distorted, as if she is underwater. Or in a tunnel, and the sound is echoing off of the walls. A Terrible pain consumes her body, a burning sensation that only gets worse with every passing moment. Like Angel Fire is licking up her body. Clary is screaming from the fire coursing through her veins, so, surely someone can hear her. "It'll be okay," Clary tries to rationalize through the pain. The person with the distorted voice will save her. Through the haze, Clary hears someone calling out to others…Alec. And Isabelle. The names are so familiar, yet she can't quite put her finger on it. "Maybe they can help too."_

_"Clary, please. Please wake up," the voice pleads with desperation. He sounds absolutely terrified (and the smooth voice was definitely male). This time the voice is closer, but it still seems miles away. Clary tries to go towards the voice, but her legs are so heavy and sluggish. Something about the voices are familiar and comfortable; secure. They can't leave her like this, in so much agony. _

_Like in a dream, Clary is running, running away from something she can't see. It is consuming her, but she tries to struggle against it. Whatever it is will consume her until there is nothing left. "I just have to reach the man's voice," Clary whimpers. The voice is safe. She can trust whoever the voice belongs to. But, she still can't reach it, no matter how hard she tries. Something important is missing, and Clary can't help but feel that if she found out what it was, then she could reach the man's voice. It can't save her. Only she can save herself. "But I'm so tired," Clary sighs in defeat. Struggling has only exhausted her. "I'll just rest my eyes for a minute," she reasons. The darkness envelops her, wraps her in its velvety warmth._

_As Clary's eyes close and her thoughts slow to a halt, one last thought flutters in her mind._

_A picture of a gorgeous golden-haired boy flashes in her mind. He is perfect, as if molded by the gods. His eyes are golden pools of light, a beacon in the darkness. He smiles and whispers to her, trying to wake her up._

_"Clary, wake up sweet heart. You need to open your eyes. You need to fight. Don't give in; it's not your time yet. Come back Clary..."_

**_JACE._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ohhh my gosh. I personally don't like how this chapter came out. When I wrote it, I was having serious writers block, and now that I went back and edited a little, I still don't like it. I apologize in advance. **

**In other news, this made me realize how badly i need a Beta. Would anybody be willing to help a girl out? I do most of it on my own and do fine, but it's tough spots like these when it would be nice to have someone to help me out. If you're interested, PM me!**

**Since I dont like this chapter, trust me the next one is coming soon. Already written, just needa edit. Anyways. Please read, review, comment, whatever you can do. To those of you who write: What do you do when you're stuck in a block? Advice is always welcome! Thank you for reading(:**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own TMI. The lovely Cassie Clare came up with these awesome characters- I just manipulate them to make my own stories! (:**

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"Jace," Clary gasps, trying to breathe and call for her loved one at the same time. Every ragged breath claws at her throat and every movement of her chest sends a searing pain throughout her body. As if on cue, three sighs instantly emanate from around her: One directly above, holding her; One hovering nearby; and the last a distance away, mumbling into a cell phone.

"Clary," Jace sighs, and a drop of moisture falls onto Clary's face_. _She swipes it away and her eyes flutter open in confusion. Her gaze darts throughout the room, like a deer caught in the headlights: confused and terrified. She catches a glance of Alec in the corner, and Izzy hovering nearby, before her gaze comes to a rest on her beautiful golden-haired angel. His amber eyes are moist and Clary realizes that it was not water dripping down on her, but Jace's tears of relief.

"Jace?" Clary whimpers, tears on the brim of her eyes as well. Clary was strong, but giving the circumstances, she was held together by a thread and very ready to burst. She knew that she was safe, but she could feel that something was terribly wrong. Her body ached and burned, and everything around her was a blur of color, except the colors were off. They were all wearing black, but it seemed as if each shadowhunter had a glow about them. It seemed as if every person in the room had their own colorful glow surrounding them. _Maybe it's a glamour._

"Jace, are you guys wearing a glamour?" Clary inquires, currently distracted from the pain. Three pairs of eyes snap to her, curious.

"What do you mean?" Alec asks as he strides to where Jace was holding her. "We don't have any glamours, Clary." He looks slightly worried, so Clary turns her eyes back to Jace.

"What are you seeing?" Jace asks, studying her carefully. He was worried about her; the Scorpios demon stung her, and it was highly poisonous. The side affects could cause hallucinations, vomiting, but death was usually the outcome in cases like these- a sting to the chest.

"I don't know," Clary sighs and feebly points in their direction, "It's like you guys are each glowing a different color." This only made the three scrunch their eyebrows even more in confusion. Without a prompt, Clary details what she can see.

"All of you have colors. They're a perfect match..." Clary mumbles as her eyes become unfocused, and her lids grow heavy. The poison was trying to take over, but she didn't want to fall asleep. That would be bad. _If I sleep, i'll never wake up, _Clary thinks to herself. She is very rational, but the affects of the poison are making themselves known- hazy thoughts, slow movements, blurry vision. "Clary! Stay awake, you can't sleep yet," Jace tells her firmly, making Clary's whole body jerk in surprise.

"Ah!" Clary winces, in pain. Even the smallest of movements causes pain to shoot through her torso and limbs. The dull pain in her limbs was quickly proceeded by the fiery burning sensation, as if fire were coursing through her veins and spreading to every corner of her small frame.

"Shhh," Jace whispers and gently holds her to him, "It's okay. I'm right here. I've got you." He kisses the top of her head and rocks her in comfort as the tears flow freely.

"Jace, it hurts," Clary cries, bunching his soft leather jacket in her fists. She could hardly talk, let alone think straight. She could hear a wisp of soft conversation between Alec and Isabelle,but it only went in one ear, and out the other without a second thought. _"The shock is setting in...Did you get a hold of Magnus? I know a rune that can help...". _

The pain is centered in her chest, close to her heart and other vital organs. Every movement hurt, every breath, every sob, and her heavy, quickened breathing was not helping either. Trying to keep the sobs quiet merely made them come out strangled and broken. Jace looks at Isabelle and Alec, his eyes pleading for help. Seeing Clary in so much pain broke Jace's heart, and Alec could feel it through their bond. Alec nods his head, signaling Jace and Izzy to do what they need to help Clary.

"I know, Clary. It's going to hurt," Jace explains with reluctance, "You got stung by a Scorpios. Izzy and I are trying our best to take away some of the pain." As Jace reveals this news to her, she realizes two things. For one, Izzy was leaned over her tracing runes onto her skin, but Clary did not feel any of the normal tingle from the runes-The pain from the sting overpowered every other sense. Then Clary realizes that Jace had said she was stung by a _Scorpios Demon_. Large, yellow eyes, needle teeth, monkey hands...scorpion stinger. Scorpios venom kills. _And I got stung. But I'm alive. _

When the whole situation finally sets in, Clary turns into Jace's chest and lets it all out. She should be dead. And then another sober question comes to her mind, and it causes her to suddenly stop sobbing.

"Jace?" Clary asks in an oddly calm voice. Sensing the change instantly, Jace's eyes snap back to her with confusion in his eyes. "Jace, am I going to die?"

All eyes fasten on to the small red-head in Jace's arms. Not because they were shocked at her question, but because of her coherency; That she could think straight enough through the shock to ask such a question was bewildering. None of them had a comforting answer for her, but Jace would not lie either.

"I don't know, Clary," Jace whispers with fear. "You know Scorpios stings are deadly, and most die. You need to hang in there."

"Nobody that we know of," Isabelle corrects him with annoyance. She wants to comfort Clary as best she can. "The Silent Brothers will know. We're gonna do the best we can," Izzy explains with a small smile and squeezes Clary's hand.

Jace just rocks Clary and murmurs sweet nothings in her ear to keep her calm. Izzy's optimism should have comforted her, but Jace's silence scared her more. He would not lie to her, but Jace being so quiet was deeply unnerving. With all these thoughts muddling her mind, Clary's head starts to throb. _I am so tired... _As Clary's thoughts wandered towards sleep, she feels something soft and warm brush against her lips. She opens her eyes again to see Jace's face hovering above her and she gently kisses him back.

"I love you so much Clary," Jace sighs into her ear. The only response Clary could muster was a small smile. As she drifted off into a sweet, much-needed sleep, a flitting thought tugs at the corner of her mind: A flash of something dark and shadowy, just after she had been stung, but before she had lost consciousness. _Probably just a demon. _It would make the most sense, since the place was infested with them. _Oh well, _Clary thinks as her eyes grow heavy, _it can't be that important. I'll tell Jace when I wake up. _Clary falls into a deep, dreamless sleep. Unbeknownst to her, that little flutter of a thought is more important than she could imagine.


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyooooo! You guys wanted it, so here it is! And i got a message or two thinking that Clary actually died. No, what happened is that she was stung, then kinda sorta died, but something made her come back! At the end of the last chapter, Jace was just telling her to rest until they got help, not rest forever or anything like that. SO yeah, just fyi lol. PLease R&R what you think! Love you aaaaalll bunches!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI or any characters created by Cassie Clare. I do however, own this particular plotline(:**

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_Jocelyn, you need to calm down…she will be alright…_

_So devoted…by her side all along…_

_Help her…why isn't it working…_

_You may leave now…_

_3 days already…not much longer…_

Pieces of conversation float around Clary as she drifts in and out of consciousness, just like the waves lapping on the lakefront at Luke's farmhouse. Unlike the peaceful ebbing and flowing of the lake, the babble surrounding her was tense with worry and unease. Clary knows that her friends are worried about her, but she can't remember why. _I need to wake up…I just have to open my eyes so they know that I'm okay. _Clary tries to struggle against the cocooning sleep that surrounds her. She knows that she needs to at least _try _to wake up. Yet, she is so comfortable and she doesn't want to wake up just yet. _Just a little longer, _Clary thinks silently, just like when her mother would attempt to wake her for school when she was a child.

* * *

Briskly walking through the mist, Clary tries to make sense of her surroundings. She is walking with a limp, but she pushes through it, desperate to find an end to the tunnel. It was eerily quiet in the wide streets, and all of the stores were empty. Breaking into a run, Clary flies through the mist and catches small glances of her surroundings. _Madison Avenue, 23__rd__ Street, Park Avenue, 14__th__ Street, _The signs seemed to whiz by in a blur. She was in Manhattan, but she was still utterly baffled, and quite frankly, scared. New York City did not rest; The cars, buses, lights, they all kept blaring at all hours, but now, they were dead silent. Trepidation trickled through her veins as she slowed to a halt. The mist had dispersed, if only a bit. Everything she could see was in chaos. It was no longer silent: People were screaming, demons were snarling, streets were running with blood. Human innocents lay lifeless in the gutters, left to rot. Shadowhunters were fighting in vain all around her, only to fall before the demons and dark shadowhunters. The faces of her family and friends could be seen charging headfirst to their imminent deaths, fighting until the end. _My brother has succeeded. He will fight until he wins, reigning on a throne of bones._

Demons skitter in the bloody streets hissing and growling, searching for easy prey to devour. Clary, however, would not give up to the hideous creatures. She would fight until the last breath heaved from her lungs. So she fought. She fought until she was aching and covered in blood and ichor. She fought until she could fight no more. She fought until she fell to her knees in defeat, and suddenly, the scene in front of her warped. She was now in a large, old warehouse building that was abandoned and rotting. As if in a trance, Clary dragged herself from her knees and stood. Weapons in hand, she wandered through the halls of the building. She could hear a demon hissing in the distance and she stalked towards it, ready for a fight. Something feels extremely familiar about the area, as if she has been there before, but she continues on despite the unease she feels. Running her hand along the wall, she can feel the vibrations of energy coursing throughout the building and deep in her bones. _Death, _the word pops into her mind. _This place is full of death. It reeks of it. _Her steps slow as she nears the hissing noise, ready to attack. Out of the blue, the hissing demon seemingly appears directly in front of Clary, blocking her path. She gasps in surprise and the hideous creature morphs before her eyes. Standing there in front of her sneering down on her is Jonathan. "Little sister, how nice it is to see you here!" he exclaims with mock surprise. He has a dagger held carelessly at his side, and he steps closer to her. Clary stumbles back a step, not wanting to be near him. Frowning at her withdrawal, his hand clenches in his fist. "You do not want to test me today, Clarissa. I am very busy and I need you to come with me," he explains, but he does not ask; he demands.

With fire in her eyes, Clary spits at his feet in defiance. "I'm not going anywhere with you, _big brother," _Clary mocks, twisting his nickname for her to use against him. "I'd rather die," she informs his with a matter of fact tone.

This made him furious and his eyes turned into black holes, ready to devour anything in its path. "Oh, little sister, you shouldn't have said that," he sighs. "I really did wish to spare you. But, you _are_ an ungrateful little bitch who could care less about her own blood, so why should I even bother?" Jonathan says, making sure to emphasize his words. He lifted his dagger to examine it in the light, twisting it this way and that, making the sharp edges reflect the light. Clary knew what was coming next. She tried to jump out of the way, but it was far too late. Jonathan was lunging for her with animosity in his face and the dagger came down on her. As the dagger slid into her chest, she screamed in agonizing pain before succumbing to the depths of darkness.

* * *

_"_Clary!"

Writhing and thrashing, Clary tore at her confines. They were restraining her, holding her down, trying to harm her. She could hear somebody screaming and there was commotion everywhere. She continues to thrash about wildly, and with a jolt, she realizes that it is _her _screaming bloody murder.

"Clary, stop! It's fine, it's me!" Someone yelled to her, not in anger, but trying to be heard over her bloodcurdling screams. Someone's warm calloused hand enveloped hers and held it tightly, in a gesture of reassurance. Her vision became clear and she cut off the scream that was ripping at her throat. Her wide, fearful eyes locked onto the hand that was clutching hers. The skin was golden, and it seemed to be glowing as well. The rough hand squeezed hers and her eyes slowly traveled up along his glowing forearm and muscular bicep, until her eyes rested on the golden-haired beauty above her. His eyes we golden pools of light that radiated warmth and love. In fact, his whole body seemed to be radiating a sort of visible energy. He was literally _glowing. _The air around him rippled with an angelic gold and white glow. At the center was a rich red that exuded confidence. It was perfect.

"Clary," Jace says, snapping her back to attention. "I know this isn't the first time you've seen me," he grins down on her, still gripping her hand in his. His voice had just the right amount of sarcasm in it, not too overbearing, considering that she just woke up.

"I-I don't-" Clary stammers, searching for words to describe what she is seeing. Her eyes were still wide with fear, and she was visibly trembling.

"Clary, what's wrong?" Jace asks in confusion, staring intently into her eyes, looking for an answer.

Clary couldn't even think straight, her mind was a jumble of confusion_. What's going on? Where am I? Why is Jace glowing? _All of these thoughts rushed through her mind like an avalanche, and giving her a migraine.

"What happened?" Clary asked. Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. It felt as if she had swallowed sand, it was scratchy and dry. Seeing the pitcher and cup on the bedside table, she feebly reached out for it, desperately needing something to drink. Jace brushed her hands gently aside when he saw her move for the water, and pours her a cup that she greedily downs. He pours her another cup once she is finished, but holds it back with warning before handing it to her.

"Small sips. You'll get sick if you drink too fast," Jace explains. Clary thanks him with a smile and sits back against the pillows as Jace quickly recounts the events that took place. She didn't interrupt him, and only nodded and cringed at the memories that resurfaced. They had all been on a hunt at an old grain terminal by the canal; the place was infested with Ravener demons, along with a couple of Scorpios demons. She had been stung in the chest.

"I was _stung?_" Clary gasped, and a sharp pain that shot through her chest, quickly confirming it. The poison was deadly, and not many shadowhunters lived to tell about it.

"Clary, your heart stopped for a couple of minutes," Jace mumbled quickly, just to get it out. Her gaze snapped up from where she had focused on their intertwined hands, his which were still glowing. He could see the alarm in her eyes and quickly reassured her that the Silent Brothers had come to examine her while she was out, and told them that she should recover fully.

"It's okay now, Clary," Jace beamed at her from where he was perched on a stiff-looking chair that was pushed up next to her bed. She couldn't help but smile back at him with tears in her eyes. The situation was finally setting in, and it hit her like bus. _I should be dead. I could've been killed. _The tears welled up and finally spilled over, cascading silently down her cheeks. Clary blinked and brushed her hand across her face in an attempt to wipe away the drops, but it was useless. They kept coming.

"Don't cry, Clary," Jace whispered and moved to sit next to her on the small infirmary cot. He wrapped one arm around her waist and held her close. Taking the pad of his thumb, Jace leaned down and gently brushed a couple of tears from her cheek. Clary just leaned her face into his side and let out a small, heartbreaking sob. "I'm sorry," Clary mumbled over and over, apologizing for crying. This made Jace hold her tighter and closer, rocking her gently and murmuring sweet nothings to comfort her.

When the flow of tears finally dried up, Clary sniffled ungraciously and sat up. She took a deep breath, and wiped her nose on her sleeve, noticing that she was not wearing any gear, just clean pajamas. Turning towards Jace with a quizzical smile, she couldn't keep herself from asking.

"Uh, Jace?" She says with a shy grin. "Yeaaaah?" He replied cautiously, sensing her quick change in mood.

"I'm in pajamas," is all that she said. Jace looked at her in confusion. "Well duh. Can't sleep in bloody gear. It's not comfortable, trust me," he stated.

"Obviously…" Clary kept skirting around the question. "Okay so then who…?" She let the sentence linger in the air. It took a minute for Jace to realize what she meant, but when he did, his sarcastic grin came out full blast and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Oh, don't you worry about that one, Fray," he said, not exactly answering the question. "It's really not that important," he winked at her, his smile still in place. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration; She should have known he would tease her. She simply wanted to know _who the hell dressed her. _The thought of somebody changing her clothes while she was unconscious seemed…creepy. Seeing her frustration, he nudged her in satisfaction. Jace loved to annoy people, even Clary, but he usually knew where the lines were with her. Right now, she was already in a fragile mood and he was not helping her stay calm. She was annoyed, and just wanted a simple answer, but Jace liked to turn everything into a joke. "Jace, I'm not really in the mood. I just wanted an answer, not a sarcastic remark," Clary snapped, instantly regretting her tone.

"I'm sorry, Clary," Jace mumbled, offended, and not used to apologizing for his jokes. "Isabelle changed you so the ichor wouldn't burn you and so you would be more comfortable," Jace explained, trying to backtrack.

"Ugh," Clary mumbled, annoyed with herself for being so short. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. I'm just…I don't know. This is all so confusing," Clary sighed in defeat. "I mean, I wake up in the freaking infirmary to find that I was stung by a freaking Scorpios demon, not to mention, I died and came back to life! I had a freaking nightmare and practically attacked you in my sleep. And to top it all off, you're freaking _glowing,_" by the time Clary was finished ranting, she was breathless, but she also felt a little better about getting it all off of her chest.

Jace's lips quirked into his signature cocky half-smile. "I know, I do kind of glow, don't I?" he asks rhetorically. "It's just because I'm so awesome and handsome," he laughed while flexing. Clary couldn't hide her smile despite how serious she was about her statement. He really was glowing, but it seemed perfectly, and the colors were just for Jace.

Clary giggled with Jace, but then became serious. "Jace…I wasn't joking when I said that, you know," she sighed. "There seriously is a light surrounding you. It's beautiful- golden and white, with a deep red centered near your heart," Clary explained with a curious tone, as she studied the colors intently.

Jace sighs and his brow scrunches up from trying to think of how to explain that phenomena.. "You said that the other night, after you woke up when I found you. You asked us if we had a glamour, then described it to us. You sounded completely lucid the whole time you were conscious, but Alec thought you were hallucinating," he stopped to catch his breath. "I guess that proves that you weren't," Jace mumbles with a sigh of confusion.

"Oh," Clary said lamely. She had no clue what to do or say. _Great, this is so not normal, _Clary thought bleakly. "What should we do," she asked, hoping Jace would have some inkling of an answer for her.

"I have no clue, Clary," Jace sighs and rubs his hands on his face, like he does when he's frustrated or upset. They both sit there on the bed in silence for a few minutes. Clary sat against the pillows once more, her hair a dark, fiery contrast to the white linens. Jace on the other hand, was bright like sunshine, his golden skin and hair full of warmth and light.

Jace hopped up so suddenly that Clary jumped in the bed, frightened by the disturbance. The movement cause pain to shoot through her body, but she just winced and tried to stretch a little. "I have no clue, but Magnus will!" Jace exclaimed with joy at his revelation.

"What makes you think Magnus will know what's going on? Plus, we no longer get freebies since he and Alec…um…yeah," Clary sighed, feeling bad for her boyfriends parabatia. Alec had recently came out about being gay when he found Magnus. They were perfect together, but for some reason, Magnus broke up with him. "He's not going to be as friendly as before."

"Well, he likes you, so just do something cute and Clary-like. Gay guys eat it up," Jace laughed, confident that Magnus will be the solution.

"You think I'm cute?" Clary blinked and looked at his eyes through her lashes with a tiny smile playing on her lips. Jace sat back down and leaned in to whisper to her. "You are," he tucked an unruly lock behind her ear, "absolutely perfect." She looked down, her cheeks and neck staring to heat at the sweet compliment. She mumbled in disbelief, but Jace hooked his finger under her chin and raised her gaze to his.

"I can't hear you when you mumble," he whispered seductively, his face now inches from hers. Her heart hammered, her stomach fluttered, and she couldn't seem to form a coherent thought. "I-I said that I don't b-believe you," she stammered with a deep blush filling her cheeks. Jace gently tapped her chin to get her eyes to meet his, and when she did, she gasped at what she saw. His eyes were fierce and heated, the golden pools churning with desire. His perfectly curved lips were trembling with need and his glow was positively _radiant. _He was shining so bright that it almost hurt her eyes to look directly at him. It was beautiful. He slowly leaned in, gauging her reaction. Her heart rate nearly doubled and she was already breathless, even though their lips had not met yet.

Apparently, Jace was pleased with her reaction, because he continued so feverishly that Clary gasped as his lips crashed onto hers. She quickly regained her composure and relaxed in his arms, enjoying the kiss. His lips were so eager and passionate that it made her head swim with desire. Her hands, slung around his neck, moved up into his hair, tugging and pulling at it. Jace let out a low groan of approval and pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling his hips. She deepened the kiss and let her tongue dance with his, and her hands ran over his chest frantically, wanting to feel all of him. As their tongues twirled, Jace's hands moved up her sides, gathering the fabric of her shirt as they went. His hands were rough and insistent on her skin, making her shiver at his touch. His calloused hands ran up further, up to her sensitive ribs, making her jerk hard in pain, and consequentially, breaking their kiss. Clary sucked in a deep breath, her ribs now throbbing in pain.

"Clary, are you okay? What did I do?" Jace asked, his hands fluttering over her body, unsure what was hurting, and wanting to help. She just held up a hand to silence him, and breathed slowly to try to regulate her heartbeat. After a few moments she sighed. "I'm okay," she sighed, trying to move from Jace's lap to sit on the edge of the bed. She winced as every movement pained her stiff muscles, and the euphoria of their kiss wore off. Clary stood up slowly, stretching her legs to get the blood flowing. With her back to Jace, she lifted the hem of her shirt to right under her breasts, exposing her flat stomach and ribs.

Sucking in a breath, Clary gasped in shock at the sight. "Oh my _God_," she whispered, almost inaudibly, but Jace heard and sprang to his feet. "What's wr- _Oh_," Jace exhaled when he moved to stand in front of her. "That is one nasty-ass bruise," Jace gawked. The bruise covered most of her ribcage on the right side of her body, where she fell. The bruise was almost black with purple splotches; it was _that _dark of a blue. "No wonder it hurt so badly when you barely brushed it. Damn. It's going to take for_ever _to heal," Clary groaned in annoyance.

"Not with an iratze!" Jace stated cheerfully, trying to make her smile. She did.

Clary carefully plopped herself back onto the bed and laid back with her shirt still pulled up, "Go for it, Lightwood," Clary laughed and tucked her hands behind her head. Jace had recently taken to the last name Lightwood, seeing as how Wayland was never really his name, and even though he found out that he is a Herondale, it still didn't seem fitting. The Lightwoods had raised Jace since he was 10, when his father "died". They had taught him to open up and love, even if he still rarely showed it. They were his true family until the end.

As soon as the familiar burning of the stele ceased, Clary instantly felt ten times better. She could take a full breath of air without pain in her ribs, and it felt amazing. "Thanks," Clary sighed as Jace helped her to her feet.

"How are you feeling?" Jace asked with sincerity. He really wanted to know how she felt.

"Well, besides being stung by a demon, seeing weird colors and feeling like a bus hit me, I'm just peachy!" Clary rolled her eyes and her stomach growled audibly. "I take that back. I'm hungry."

"Well then, we'll have to see if Isabelle cooked! Else wise you're shit-outta-luck," Jace said seriously, then laughed at the horror on her face. Isabelle in the kitchen would be like Simon in an artillery room: Clueless and completely out of place. In other words, she sucks at cooking. "I'm just kidding! I wouldn't feed her food to my worst enemy. I'm sure we have leftovers," Jace reassured her with a brilliant smile.

"You're really amazing, you know that? Even with your horrendous jokes," Clary added and stood on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek.

"As are you, Clary," Jace sighed with a look full of love. As she moved to kiss his cheek, he swiftly turned his head to capture her unsuspecting lips in a sweet kiss. "But my jokes are amazing, for your information. You just bumped your head when you fell, so I think you should just keep quiet for now," he snickered with a wink.

"Yeah? Well _I_ think I'm hungry, and we'd better go to the kitchen, before I do something stupid, like eat the cat," Clary answered in mock anger.

Jace stared at her with wide eyes and gasped, "You really must have bumped your damn head. You are _not _eating Church. Even his name implies some kind of holiness. If you want to eat a holy creature, you can take it up with the angel," Jace laughed, breaking the charade.

Clary rolls her eyes and slips past him, heading for the giant wooden doors leading into the corridor. "Whatever, I'll be in the kitchen," she calls back over her shoulder with a smirk and heads in the direction of the kitchen.

* * *

**Wooooooo! This chapter is over 3,500 words! That's a lot! I wanted to do my note at the end because I wanted your guys' input on the length. Did it seem long, or short, or in the middle? Did it break it into different pages for you guys to read, or is it all one? Lemme know in a comment! Please review, I'm really sad at the lack of them ): What would you guys like to see? How did you like it? Any tips/suggestions? And I totally need a Beta Reader if anyone is interested in helping me out(: I would love you forever! Just PM me(: Anyways, Please please please review. It would make me very happy- Happy me= Better chapters= Happy YOU! Thanks guys(:**


	7. Chapter 7

**Haaaaai everybodaaaaay! As you can see, I'm in a good mood! I have devised an evil little plan to get those of you who don't review, to review! So. I'm not going to update unless I get a certain amount of reviews for each chapter :D Sorry, but I really do feel that y'all are indifferent to the story, so c'mon. Tell me what you really think! I'm not afraid of criticism, just don't be a complete ass if you have anything bad to say. If you didn't like something about it, cool, tell me and maybe its something I can work on! I ALWAYS leave a review when i read fanfic, because i know how much it means to fellow authors to get feedback. So, give it to me! I'm not gonna post till i get up to 15 reviews :P I have 11 right now, so, I only need 4 more! Can't be that hard! **

** And yeah, that's pretty much it. So, babbling aside, I really hope you guys like this chapter(: R&R por favor!It would make me very very haaaappy!^.^**

**PS: I dont own TMI, that's all thanks to Cassie Clare(: I just create fanfic for my lovely pupils on the interwebs!**

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"You're seriously going to make yourself sick, Clary," Isabelle scolds as Clary wolfs down some leftover orange chicken and chow mein. Clary chews and swallows with an eye roll. "Well, it's really not my fault I haven't eaten in like 3 whole days," Clary replies to her friend.

"Whatever. It's your fault if you puke from eating too fast," Izzy warns, "So I'm taking it that you're not going to be hunting anytime soon?"

"Ha. I wish, but do you really think Jace is going to let me?" Clary replies around another mouthful of food. Looking back up at Izzy, Clary studies her "glow" for the millionth time. It's a vibrant orange color, with the recurring gold and pearly white edges that seemed to be with every shadowhunter. Izzy is outgoing and fierce, so in a way, the color matched her, just like the red seemed to match Jace's sarcastic confidence. _Magnus will know more, though, _Clary muses to herself, recounting all the events from the past few days.

It all started when the group went out on a routine hunt on the lower east side, which turned into a not-so-routine battle between demons and shadowhunters. All of them had got out relatively unscathed, with the exception of Clary, who had wandered off in the warehouse, and was stung by a Scorpios demon. In the chest. Consequentially, her heart stopped for a short amount of time, started again as she came to, and then was again unconscious for 3 whole days. In those 3 days, the Silent Brothers were called to check over Clary, as well as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane. The Lightwoods had hoped that Clary was just hallucinating when she babbled about them glowing just before she slipped into her comatose state; Unfortunately, Clary was still seeing the colors, and quite frankly, she was getting used to them. It seemed as natural as breathing, even if she didn't fully understand it yet.

"Earth to Clary!" Isabelle snapped, waving her hand in front of Clary's face. Apparently she had been trying to talk to Clary.

"Sorry Iz, I'm really out of it still," Clary said with a sigh. _This sucks. _

"Yeah, I get that, but try to listen! I was _saying _that we should all get together tonight at Taki's! Like a welcome-back-to-consciousness party," Isabelle gushes with genuine enthusiasm. Isabelle is somewhat of a party-girl, so she loves planning get-togethers. "Like with us, and Jace, Alec, Jordan, Maia, Simon, hell, even your mom and Luke can come!"

"Um, I don't know about all that Izzy. I just woke up and I'm still not feeling all that great," Clary stammers, not really wanting to be stuck with a crowd, having to talk and smile, when she felt like just laying down and sleeping.

"Nonsense. With the way you're eating, you can't be feeling that crappy," Isabelle counters, not letting Clary stand her up. She just mumbles and gets up from the counter to wash her plate off. Luckily, Jace decided to show up at that moment and saved Clary from Isabelle's party-planning.

"You ready, Clary?" Jace asks while grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and cracking it open to take a swig. Clary nods and leaves the kitchen without a word to either of them and heads to her room.

"_Crap,_" Jace mumbles to Izzy and rushes after Clary. "Hey Clary, why don't you wait a second," Jace calls after her. She eyes him suspiciously, and continues her walk down the hall.

"I just want a quick shower before we leave," Clary says as they near the closed door. Jace moves so that he is standing in front of her, barring her entrance. Clary cocks her hip to the side and crosses her arm in front of her. When she raises an eyebrow, Jace sighs and gently tugs a hand free; she lets him. "Seriously, what's wrong? I just want to shower before we got to Magnus'," Clary sighs.

"Well there's something you should know, Clary," Jace stops to try to gather his thoughts. "When your mom found out what happened, she was really upset. I'm sure you could guess that much," he pauses again, gathering the courage to tell her the truth. He takes a huge breath, and then lets it all tumble out. "Your mom was so pissed that she packed all your stuff and wants you to go to go home," Jace closes his eyes and waits for her to blow up. Clary ducks under his arm and pushes the door to her room open to see for herself.

"Oh my God," Clary says, with a look of pure annoyance clouding her freckled face. "Can this day get any worse?" She groans and plops onto her bare bed. The walls are just as they were before she moved in: blank and colorless. All of the drawings that she had tacked up were gone, probably back at her old room in Luke's bookshop-apartment. Any trace of color is gone, including the orange bedding and, and lamps and stuff that she had bought in an attempt to brighten up the room.

Jace slowly walks into the room and sits down beside her heavily. The look on his face says more than enough. "What else? What the hell else is there?!" Clary yells in frustration. _I have been awake for no longer than 2 hours, and everything is has already gone to shit. What now? _

Jace takes her small hand in both of his and kisses each finger before continuing. "Clary, do you remember right before we left for that hunt, Maryse said she wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes," Clary replies cautiously and starts fiddling with Jace's hands nervously.

"Well once we knew you were going to be alright, we had that talk. She's not happy with your training, Clary," Jace finally says it.

"Look, I know I'm not as good as you or Alec or Isabelle, but I'm not horrible!" Clary yells in frustration and drops his hand.

"No, you're a damn good shadowhunter for what training you've had! Maryse knows that. She just thinks it would be better if- well if someone more qualified were to train you. Someone from the Academy in Alicante, to be exact," Jace offered with a weak smile. Clary didn't have it in her to smile back and tell him that she's fine. So she just put her head in her hands and heaved a big sigh. Jace wrapped his arm around her waist and scooted closer to her tiny, curled up frame. He swept her long, red curly mane behind her shoulders and gently pulled her hands from her face to see silent tears dripping down her face.

"Clary, baby I'm so sorry," Jace says, crumbling just from seeing her cry. He hated seeing his beautiful angel in tears. It completely broke his heart, and there wasn't much he could do but hold her.

The tears subside after a few minutes of Jace cradling her like a child and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault, Jace. I'm just really stressed already, and I've only been awake for, what, like 2 hours?" Clary explains, not wanting him to blame himself. What she needed was a long, hot shower to ease the tension in her body. Clary slowly gets to her feet and stretches, feeling the ache in her tense muscles. "I'm going to take a shower, okay?" Clary tells him, while wiping the remaining tears from her face. "I'm sure 3 days without a shower isn't leaving me smelling like flowers," Clary laughs, her mood partially back to normal.

Jace grins back, glad that Clary is feeling better enough to joke. "That's a good idea. Need me to wash your back?" Jace asks with a wink and the sexy half grin that she loves.

"Hmmm…No I don't think that's the best idea," Clary replies with a wicked smile. Jace pouts and strides over to grab her by the waist.

"C'mon. I promise you won't regret it! Plus, you know ya want all this awesomeness!" Jace smirks and holds out his arms wide.

Clary rolls her eyes and saunters to the bathroom with a sway to her hips. She stops at the doorway, and turns to face Jace, who is now sitting on the bed. Her tank top strap falls down her shoulder and she lets it hang there, and, in a moment of complete confidence and cockiness, slips her bra strap down with a seductive smile. Jace's eyes go wide and his breath catches as he watches her do so. Knowing he has him entranced, Clary laughs and slams the door shut and locks it. Jace is instantly on the other side whining and jiggling the handle. "C'mon, you're such a tease! Let me in," he whined, making Clary laugh even harder. She was feeling much better already; Jace just had that kind of effect on her, whether he was being sweet, or arrogant.

"In your dreams, Lightwood!" she replied before cranking the shower on and drowning out his whining. At least she got a laugh out of it!


	8. Chapter 8

**You. guys. are. awesome!(: Just wanted you to all know that! *MUAH* Longer note at the end, but until then, R&R, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own TMI. Still. I can write some cool fic, I think, but I'm no Cassie Clare!**

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"**WHO DARES CALL UPON THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN?!**" Magnus faux-deep voice booms through the intercom in a powerful manner. Jace smirks at the greeting and reaches for the intercom button to give back a snarky reply, but Clary beats him to it and holds it down.

"High Warlock of Brooklyn? My bad, I thought this was the Wizard of Oz's apartment!" Clary giggles into the intercom, trying her best not to laugh, but failing. She was already feeling much better, and being around Magnus always brightened everyone's mood. "Sorry for disturbing you, _your highness_," she says with heavy sarcasm lacing her response.

"Hardey har har, very funny Clarissa," Magnus' normal voice buzzed through the intercom in a voice filled with indifference. The door made a buzzing sound, indicating that the door was unlocked from inside Magnus' apartment.

"Ladies first," Jace grinned and urged her forward with one hand on her lower back, and the other propping the door open. Jace may be a cocky asshole sometimes, but he was nothing if not chivalrous. The couple swiftly make their way up the stairwell to find Magnus leaning in the doorway to his apartment in sweatpants and a T-shirt. Magnus _never _wore sweatpants and a T-shirts; He was always dressed extravagantly, catching the eyes of all.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Magnus inquires in a bored voice, while meticulously inspecting his sparkly green nails. At least he had some sparkle to him still, even if it was only on his nails and the sequins on his sweats. Clary does a double take, realizing that Magnus also has a glow about him. Until then, Clary had only seen the various colors on shadowhunters.

"Huh. That is so weird," Clary thinks out loud. Magnus' cat eyes meet hers and he arches a perfectly plucked brow at her comment. "Sorry. It's just that you're orange," Clary replies with a slight blush at her brusqueness. "That's why we're here."

"My favorite color does happen to be orange, but _I'm _not orange, obviously," he replies with a smirk of mockery. "Did that Scorpios venom mess with your vision or something?" he replies with his smirk still in place.

"Actually, we think it did. That's why we're here," Jace states in an equally bored voice to Magnus' original tone. "Shouldn't you know that, Magnus? You're the High Warlock, right?" Jace sneers at the lean boy in front of him.

"Whatever. Come in then, if you must," Magnus sighs and saunters into his living room, clearly annoyed at the intrusion. Clary and Jace plop down on the couch while Magnus scoops up Chairman Meow and sits in an armchair facing them. At the moment, Magnus' loft isn't as festive as it usually is; the walls are a drab off-white color and the couches and chair are mismatched and old-looking. Clary observes the apartment, noting that is a complete mess. The view of the kitchen from where she sat proved to be horrendous: Takeout boxes littered every surface, and everything looked as if it hasn't been taken care of for a while. Even Magnus looked disheveled. His hair was a mess, instead of his normal gelled-to-perfection-and-covered-in-sparkles dark hair. His face is shadowed with stubble from days without shaving. The glow that he's emitting is even in sync with his gloomy mood; A dull orangey-yellow color with a depressing dark blob around his heart, where he is hurting the worst(emotionally). _Wow. He's hurting just as much as Alec over this breakup. Poor Magnus, _Clary frowns at the sight before her.

While stuck in her own thoughts, Clary failed to realize that Jace and Magnus had been talking. Jace was telling Magnus every detail from the past couple of days, including the strange new ability Clary seemed to gain after being stung. Magnus seemed deep in thought and kept silent throughout Jace's recount. When Jace was finished speaking, Magnus sat back and his forehead wrinkled in concentration, as if literally searching the documents in his mind for something.

Suddenly, Magnus jumped up as if a light bulb had turned on in his head. He mumbled something about a book, and went to his study. Muffled sounds of large objects being moved and books hitting the ground floated to the living room, and Magnus was back in a flash. With him, he carried an ancient-looking leather book with a language she didn't know scrawled across the cover.

"I've got it!" he said, sounding very proud of himself, like a child who has the answer to a question that the teacher asked. "I've had this book for ages, and I just remembered reading something about chakra's in here. Here!" Magnus plops between Jace and Clary and lays the dusty book out on the coffee table for them to see. He flips through the pages with zeal, with dust permeating the air, causing Clary to sneeze and start waving her hand in the air in an attempt to disperse the dust. Giving up, she sat back and waited patiently as Magnus skimmed through the pages until finally stopping on one.

In the middle of the page was a drawing of a body with seven different orbs of light on different focal points of the body; A red orb at the feet; orange at the groin; yellow at the navel; green on the heart; dark blue at the throat; cyan blue in between the eyes; and purple at the very top of the head.

"These, are the seven chakras of the body. They all represent something different and must be balanced. Look, it says here that they are 'divided to manage different aspects of earthly life (body/instinct/vital energy/deeper emotions/communication/having an overview of life/contact to God).' My guess is that when the poison spread, it also traveled to your _Ajna, _or third eye, thus unbalancing it. That could lead to you being able to see the auras of others. Normally, not many people have the ability to see them, but everybody has an aura that is unique to them," Magnus explained. Clary felt that she already knew all this deep down, but it still seemed somewhat new to her. _It makes so much sense. The auras all seem to match the person. "_Here, read this," Magnus said, pointing to a section that Clary didn't understand, because it was all in a different language. She could tell what the pictures were, but not the writing.

"Uh, Magnus, I can't read that," Clary mumbled, embarrassed that the only other language she knows is Spanish, and even that wasn't too great.

"Ah, sorry," Magnus said, and closed the book. He mumbled something under his breath and when he opened the book once more, it was in plain English. Clary thanked him with a smile and took the book, skimming through the page he indicated. It explained what Magnus had said, about auras being unique to their owner. It even had a chart that described the colors and what they mean. Clary looked for the red that she saw on Jace, as well as the gold and pearly white that all shadowhunters-so far- have.

"Look here, Jace. 'Red: Persons exuding a red aura are said to be very confident in every manner, and are also extremely competitive and strong-willed.' That pretty much sums you up doesn't it?" Clary laughed while he just smirked.

"You didn't seem to have any objections to my confidence this morning, now did you?" Jace replied with a knowing grin leering on his lips. Clary blushed as the memory from that morning resurfaced; Things had gotten pretty heated, and Jace was right; She had absolutely no objections.

"So Magnus, how have you been?" Clary turned towards Magnus and completely ignored what Jace had said, despite the blush on her face and neck. Magnus smirked at her avoidance of the subject, but humored her.

"I've been alright, thank you for asking," Magnus replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Clary frowned, knowing that he wasn't telling the truth. She really did care about Magnus' well-being, and she wanted to help him. Having Jace around probably wouldn't get him to open up either, since he is Alec's parabatai.

"Jace, could you give us a minute to talk please?" Clary asked him with the puppy-dog eyes that he can never resist. Jace and Magnus both seemed a bit taken aback by her request, but Jace obliged and headed downstairs to wait for her. Clary and Magnus sat in an awkward silence for a moment before he got up and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

"Would you like something to drink?" Magnus' voice trailed behind him as he walked into his messy kitchen to fetch himself a cup of tea.

"Coffee is fine," Clary replied and he poured a fresh cup and promptly returned with a steaming cup of black coffee, just how she liked it. He sat down and sipped his cup of tea, never breaking eye contact.

"What can I do for you, Clarissa?" Magnus asked in a polite tone, but kept his face clear of any emotion. He already knew why she wanted to wait behind and talk to him. Something along the lines of 'Magnus you need to clean yourself up, this isn't good for you.' What she said, however, slightly shocked him.

"Would you like to hang out sometime?" she timidly asked from behind her cup of coffee. Clary knew, deep down, that he just needed a friend. He didn't need people telling him what he _should _be doing, or how he _should _be getting back out there. His relationship with Alec was more than a silly crush. Magnus truly loved Alec, and although he was hated to admit it, he missed Alec. He missed his company, he missed his touch, he missed his voice; He was heartbroken. _What Alec did was wrong, _one part of him said. Alec had consulted with Camille Belcourt, Magnus' ex-lover/girlfriend, about taking away Magnus' immortality. The other part of him had different ideas. _He only did it because he loves you. He wouldn't force it upon you, he was just curious. _Magnus hated these little voices in his head, pulling his heart one way when his mind pulled the opposite way. Coming back from his reverie, Magnus took another sip and set his cup down to answer Clary.

"Why do you ask such a question?" he replied with his voice still completely indifferent.

Clary fidgeted in her seat, trying to find the words that wouldn't offend him. "Well, it's just that you seem, um, kinda lonely. I thought you could use a friend."

Magnus sat back in his chair and let a small smile slip past his poker face. Clary was just like her mother: slightly timid, but very thoughtful and selfless when it came to others. "Thank you for the offer. I would love to sometime; You and Izzy are welcome anytime," Magnus finally answered and gave Clary a full smile that went deep to his eyes. He missed the company of his bubbly brown-eyed friend.

"Alright, well, cool," Clary smiled, happy that she could bring Magnus a bit of joy back to him now gloomy world. "I guess I'll see you around then," Clary beamed up at him. They both stood up, and Magnus picked the book up off the table.

"You can borrow the book for now, Clary," Magnus smiled at her and handed her the old leather book. "I don't know how long this sight might last, but while you have it you should at least know something about it," Magnus shrugged and walked towards the door.

"Thank you, Magnus. For everything. I always feel like a bother," Clary replied honestly. She gave Magnus a quick hug, and he squeezed her back.

"Anytime, Clary. You and your mother will always be welcome here," Magnus smiled when she let go and stepped back. Clary nodded and mumbled thank you before turning to go. She stopped in the doorway and turned around to face him again.

"Oh, hey I just remembered. A bunch of us are getting together at Taki's tonight at eight. Isabelle wants to celebrate me coming back to the conscious world," Clary rolls her eyes with a hopeful smile. "You're more than welcome to come."

Magnus smiled and nodded. "I guess we'll see, now won't we?"

* * *

After the door shut and Magnus was left alone in his empty apartment, he slid to the ground and put his head in his hands. Ever since the breakup, Magnus has been a complete and utter wreck; he ignored phone calls, rejected clients, and wallowed in his own pity every day. Clary had done more than she thought; she simply let him know that she was there for him, but that was more than enough. Everybody else had told him to move on and stop being so depressed.

Magnus slowly got to his feet with a renewed confidence. He was going to do just what needed to be done: clean up his act and go do something for himself, for once. Magnus turned on some upbeat music and poured himself a drink for a little pick-me-up. He danced through the house picking up the trash that littered every surface and cleaned everything up. He showered, shaved, and did his hair and makeup that had been neglected for weeks. He felt amazing. Pouring another drink, Magnus plopped down on the ratty sofa and looked through various decor magazines until he found a set up that he liked. Settling on a totally chic and retro living room, Magnus snapped his fingers and the picture from the magazine realized itself in his living room. Shimmery silver walls with bright white carpet, red leather furniture, and silver end tables and embellishments to match.

Smiling to himself, Magnus grabbed his wallet and keys, planning to spend the night out. _They won't even know what hit 'em._

* * *

**You amazing people, you! You read all the way! Congrats, internet hugs! Seriously. I would hug each and every one of you if i could, for giving my story a shot!(: You're all awesome. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!**

**OKAY. SO. Did you guys like the little snippet in Magnus' POV? I rewrote this whole thing 3 times, and on the final try, I added in the Magnus POV. So, you guys might just get a little but of Malec(: And maybe some sizzy and Jaia too, if you guys ask! But only if you ask. I'm not writing something you guys don't want :P Tell me your ideas on that(: Also, the rating might change eventually to like M. Possibly. I don't. Tell me what you guys think on the lemon-y type stuff. (If you don't know,[ I didn't till recently either], lemon=sexy time). Also, any fic recommendations? I'm going to start recommending one or two each update, feel free to give me recommendations too! I recommend: Love Games by sillysac. It's under my favs on my profile, so check it out! It's also the very first fan fiction I ever read(: **

**Please. Review. Please(: I'm not gonna update unless i get to 25 reviews :D I know you guys can do it(: I have enough followers to review that much, so c'mon. Reviews=happy me=better fic=happy you! it's simple. Bye-bye, till then!**

** Lots of love from California xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**I is a very very sad person right now. Hardly anyone reviewed! Gah. ): Oh well. Please review this time. I've been in a writers block and am very discouraged. This chapter is just a filler sooooo...tell me what you think please. R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMI. Sad face. Oh well. This plot is mine though! Unless I somehow stole the plot from someone else's mind then...yeah. I'll shut up now. Enjoy.**

* * *

In mere hours, Clary had learned everything in that old leather book that covered auras- From the various chakras in different cultures, right down to the small details, like how if there is a specific color build up around a vital organ, it can lead to health complications. Clary remembers Magnus' aura, and has trouble determining what it means. Most of his consisted of really vibrant orange-yellow tones, and according to the book, it means creative, detail-oriented, and outgoing. _That pretty much sums up Magnus' whole demeanor, _Clary laughs to herself, thinking about how accurate it is. Around his heart, though, Magnus had a dirty gray overlay. Grays and blacks usually represent grief or cautiousness, which would make sense in Magnus' case; He really cared about Alec, but broke up with him because he felt betrayed when Alec talked to Camille behind his back.

"What are you laughing at," Isabelle asks as she applies the finishing touches to her already-perfect make up. She glances over her shoulder to see that Clary is deep in thought, still rifling through the book that Magnus lent her.

"Hmm?" Clary replies, to Isabelle's annoyance. She sets down her tube of lipstick and walks into her spacious walk-in closet to grab her high heel lace-up boots. Sitting down next to Clary on her bed, she starts putting on the boots and repeats her question.

"I asked what you were laughing at. You need to put that book down for a minute!" Isabelle sighs in exasperation at Clary.

"Sorry," Clary replied with a sheepish grin. She closes the book and sits up to give her full attention to the dark-eyed girl. "I've just been thinking. Have you talked to Magnus lately?" Clary asks bluntly. Isabelle frowns at the question in a way that makes it look like she's thinking.

Finally, she sighs. "No, I haven't much. Clary, do you really think he wants to have anything to do with me? I'm Alec's sister," Izzy answers in a sad voice.

"Well you need to. When Jace and I went there earlier, he was a total mess. The apartment looks like he hasn't cleaned in weeks, and all he even has to do is snap his fingers!" Clary explains fervently. "He misses you Izzy. You were one of his best friends."

"I didn't know it was like that. Now I feel like a horrible friend," Izzy's face falls in sadness. "Oh! I'll text him and invite him out with us!" Izzy exclaimed with excitement twinkling in her eyes.

"Already took care of that," Clary smiles, proud of herself for thinking of it first. Izzy hugged her friend tight and thanked her. "I'm not sure if he'll show, but I offered."

"What would I do without you Clary?" Isabelle sighs. "You really are the only girl friend that I've ever had."

"Well thanks Izzy, you are too," Clary blushes at the acknowledgement. Izzy pulls Clary up off the bed and sits her down at her vanity that is covered with makeup. Seeing her intentions, Clary protests vehemently.

"Izzy, no. Seriously," Clary pleads.

"Clary, yes. Seriously. You know the drill!" Isabelle's laugh tinkled like small bells. Clary rolls her eyes in annoyance because she knows she will not win the argument against Isabelle. Clary closes her eyes and gets comfortable for the long process that will surely ensue.

* * *

What felt like pounds of powder, lip gloss, and eyeliner later, Clary was primped to perfection. Her usually curly mass of red hair lay straight down her shoulders and tickled her bare back. The outfit Isabelle put her in was ridiculous in her opinion, but she was slowly getting used to it. The deep green strapless corset top laced up the back, giving her practically non-existent chest some extra leverage, and it accentuated her small curves. The black pencil mini skirt did wonders for her legs, without making her look trashy. To top it off, she wore a cropped leather jacket that she could store her stele and emergency dagger in, and a pair of sky-high heels that she borrowed from Izzy. Actually, the only article of clothing that she was wearing that she owned was the pencil skirt and her undergarments; Jocelyn had insisted that she have a nice neutral skirt for special occasions. The green top really made her hair stand out, and it matched her emerald eyes that are done up with smoky eye shadow. Clary gazed at the red-headed girl who stared at her through the mirror, astonished at the change. Even when Isabelle dressed her up before, it was never this dramatic; Clary was speechless.

"Pretty hot, huh?" Isabelle smirks and admires her handiwork. "Imagine if we were parabatai. We would be freakin' amazing, and _sexy,_" Isabelle's eyes become distant as her thoughts carry her away and she smiles.

"Thanks Izzy," Clary grins at the other girl through the mirror. Izzy was the best when it came to makeup, fashion, and partying (along with fighting). Their plans had slightly changed since Izzy made them; instead she decided that they should just go clubbing at Pandemonium instead of sitting around at Taki's all night.

"Have you ever thought about that? Having a parabatai?" Isabelle asked with a curious expression on her face.

"No, not much, why?" Clary asked, confused. There was no way Isabelle would be parabatai with Clary; Isabelle was much more advanced than her.

"I don't know. I mean, look at Alec and Jace. They're amazing together, and when they first thought of pairing, Alec didn't think he was worthy of being parabatai with Jace, because Jace was so much better," Isabelle said looking at Clary, as if trying to get a point across.

"Yeah, they are pretty kick-ass," Clary still didn't know what Izzy was getting at. Isabelle could tell, and she rolled her eyes and said it straight out.

"I want to get paired. I want to have a partner so badly, but I don't have much time left before I pass the cut-off age," Isabelle sighed and looked at Clary with an intensity that seemed to say _'Do you get it now?'_ Realization hit Clary like a gear bag full of blunt weapons, and a smile broke out across her freckled face.

Seeing the realization dawn on the other girls face, Isabelle jumps up with a squeal and claps her hands in excitement. "I think that we would be great together!"

"Are you serious Izzy? You want me to be your parabatai?" Clary asks with equal enthusiasm. Becoming parabatai with Izzy would be life-changing for Clary; she would be fighting with one of the best; she would protect and be protected; she would finally fit in.

"Of course, silly! I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it. I've been thinking about it a lot lately," Isabelle proclaimed with a cheery smile. Clary was speechless, so she just gave her a big hug. Izzy laughed and hugged her back, being careful not to crumple their outfits, or smudge their makeup. _I guess I'll have to get used to being her dress up doll, _Clary thinks with a small smile.

"I'll take that as a yes. We can talk to Maryse and your mom tomorrow," Isabelle hopped off of her perch at the edge of her bed and grabbed Clary's hand to help her up. Izzy led her to the Institute's equivalent of a living room (minus the electronics) where the boys are waiting. Isabelle's stride is fast, and Clary is thankful that Isabelle had forced her to learn how to run in heels; Else wise she would be flat on her ass already. Murmurs of conversation floated from the living area and down the hallway to the girls. They stopped right outside of the great wooden doors, which are cracked open a bit.

Isabelle fixes her dress and motions Clary to do so as well for their appearance, before she straight-arms the doors open with a flourish. Clary holds her head up and walks alongside Isabelle, rather than being timid and following in her shadow; their earlier conversation gave her the confidence she needed. All eyes snap to the two young girls clad in dark clothes and high-heels. Jace's eyes went especially wide as he looked Clary up and down with an awestruck look. He looked at her with love, lust, admiration, and a ferocity that Clary had never seen in his golden eyes before. She gave him a bold smile to match her smoldering eyes and sexy outfit.

Isabelle breaks the silence and takes Clary's hand to twirl her around in a circle to show off her outfit. Jace grins wide and winks at her with a mischievous look.

"You boys ready to go?" Izzy asks with a hand on her hip. The boys rise from the comfy over-stuffed couch.

Jace leisurely strides over to where Clary stands, with a smirk on his face. Seeing his smirk makes her heart flutter, but it also causes her to lower her gaze when her face promptly heats up. Jace stops right in front of her and hooks his slender finger under her chin to raise her eyes to his. When Clary looks up, Jace's face is lit up with one of his rare, genuine smiles, and she smiles back. Ever so slowly, the golden-haired boy leans his face closer to hers. Impatient, and in need of the feel of his lips on hers, Clary roughly grabs the back of his neck and crashes her lips against his. He grunts in surprise, but doesn't pull away; his hands snake around her waist, pulling her body flush against his.

"AHEM," someone clears their throat with annoyance. Clary pulls away to see Isabelle glaring at them with raised brows, and Alec slightly turned away with red cheeks. Jace trails soft kisses down Clary's jaw and neck, making her lose her train of thought for a moment. She puts her hands on his firm chest and pushes him away from her body with reluctance at the loss of warmth. He grins down at her with swollen lips and a slight flush to his face.

"Oh, look, they came up for breath!" Izzy says to Alec and gently nudges him in the ribs. "Are you guys done now?" she turns her attention back to the couple.

"Yeah, yeah, lead the way," Jace huffs and holds out his arm for Clary to take. "By the way, you look breathtakingly beautiful. Absolutely perfect," Jace murmurs into her ear and plants a tender kiss on her forehead.

"I'm ready to par-tey!" Jace bellows into the cavernous hallways of the Institute, causing them all to laugh. The young shadowhunters made their way through the streets of New York City, ready for the much-needed break from their dangerous lives of protecting the innocent.

* * *

Help me out now, my lovelies. Writer's block sucks buttttttt. What do you guys do in a block? Lemme know.

I'm thinking about a little drama next chapter...They're going to Pandemonium...Magnus was invited...hmmmm...what do you guys think of a lil Malec drama?

Your position on lemons. Tell me. I don't mind adding some, I have an idea, but I don't wanna lose readers because they don't like that stuff. So let me know what your opinion is.

I recently got a hold of the Shadowhunter's Codex! It's funny, with the little doodles and notes written my Clary, Jace, and Simon. That's where I got the idea of doing Izzy/Clary parabatai, since they cover EVERYTHING in that book.

Please review. Comments? Questions? Suggestions/ideas? Tell me in a review! PLEASE. I beg of you. I'll give you interweb hugs? REVIEW.

Thanks for reading, and keep being awesome! -Lots of love from California!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, obviously. Cassie Clare is the genius, I only own the plot of this story and any new characters!(:**

* * *

The techno music pounded throughout the club, vibrating through the swaying bodies and resonating through the soles of Clary's feet. The strobe lights flashed like lightning and added to the intensity of the music, making Clary want to dance even more despite her protesting feet; Isabelle refused to let her take off her heels to dance.

Currently, the guys were sitting at the bar watching their girlfriends dance from a distance. Clary, Maia, and Isabelle danced like nobody was watching, making the guys laugh with them. When the upbeat dubstep song ended, the Clary and Maia started to make their way back to the bar to join the guys, but Isabelle grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them back. She whisper-yelled into their ears and they all smiled at one another and continued to dance normally. The guys noticed that they had started to return but stayed, and they watched with curiosity.

After a few minutes, the girls changed the style of their dancing, gaining the appreciative looks of guys and girls alike; Isabelle held the other two closely and they writhed in a seductive manner. The men around them started whistling and cat-calling to the girls, and their boyfriends kept their eyes on the show. All three girls looked to their boyfriends and started grinding on one another to further pike their curiosity. Jace stood up and pushed his way through the throngs of people to be closer to his red-headed angel. His _sexy _red-headed angel.

Clary grinned and walked up to him with a sway to her hips, and he offered his hand out to her.

"Care to dance?" Jace asks with that beautiful half-smile that always makes Clary's heart skip a beat. She nods her head and pulls him closer to her to dance. Taken aback, Jace looks at her with curiosity at her newfound confidence.

"What?" Clary asks innocently. They continue to dance while Jace decides how to answer.

"You're in a good mood," he smirks as they sway to the music.

"So? Is it a crime to be happy?" Clary retorts with sarcasm. Jace chuckles and leans down to whisper intimately in her ear.

"It's actually really hot, so please, continue," Jace whispers and nibbles on her earlobe. Grinning, Clary turns her back to him and maintains her steady rhythm against his body. She wraps her arm back around Jace's neck and lowers herself, grinding against his muscular body causing him to gasp in surprise. She turns back around, not wanting to tease him too much.

"You will be the death of me, Clarissa," Jace groans in frustration, but pulls her into a tight hug and kisses her on the head.

"I always assumed that you would go during a fight, not because of a girl!" Clary mocks with a grin.

"Why, Miss Fray, you are not just any girl," Jace pulled away and held her at arm's-length. "You are the most beautiful, compassionate, loving woman I have ever met," he murmured, his eyes melting her to the core. Jace leaned down and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.

The happy couple was pulled out of their private moment by a commotion coming from nearby. They both turned to see a dark-haired mundane guy trying to rile up Jordan Kyle, Maia's werewolf boyfriend. The boy shouted profanities at Jordan, causing him to shake with anger. Maia was pulling on his arm, whispering in his ear; probably trying to calm him down so he wouldn't change in the middle of a crowd. Simon's brown hair bobs through the crowd towards them in a rush, pushing people to get through.

"Hey Jace, you mind giving us a hand? This dude's trying to get Kyle to fight him," Simon jabs a thumb over his shoulder at the boys. Jace nods his head and makes his way through the crowd to help out his friend. Simon led Clary with a protective hand on her back and made her keep her distance. "I would love to see this brute get his ass handed to him, but I don't think it would be good for Jordan to go all wolf-man in here," Simon babbles with his signature goofy grin.

"What's the problem here?" Jace smoothly cuts off the mundane who is now trash talking Jordan and Maia. The boy glares down at Jace, who is standing between an enraged Jordan, and a mundane who doesn't know when to shut his mouth.

"This doesn't concern you, blondie," the boy sneers. He's a couple inches taller than Jace, and built like a football player, but Jace could easily take him without breaking a sweat.

"This _asswipe _was trying to feel up my girlfriend," Jordan growls out in rage.

The giant boy retorts with some swearing and a lame reply. "Keep your bitch from dancing like that a-," Jace cuts him off with a swift punch to the gut, causing the man to double over in pain.

"I suggest," Jace whispers in a deadly calm voice, "That you keep your mouth shut before you find yourself in a situation that will make you wish you wouldn't have opened your fat mouth." His voice is low and gentle, like the calm before a storm; the underlying tone of his voice was deadly.

"Yeah, what are you gonna do about it fag?" the mundie quips, either oblivious to the warning, or just too stupid to comprehend it.

In a flash, Clary had each one of his arms pinned behind his back, causing everyone to stumble in surprise. The boy shot a surprised look over his shoulder, but laughed when he saw the tiny redhead holding his arms back. "Don't you _ever _talk to my boyfriend like that again, or you _will_ be sorry," Clary hissed with venom. Jace threw her a proud smile, and sneered at the boy, which only enraged him farther.

"What a man, letting his bitch fight for him," the dark-haired boy scoffs, and attempts to yank his arm free. To his surprise, Clary held him fast, not letting him budge.

"The more you struggle, the worse it's going to get," Isabelle warns him in a sickly sweet voice as Clary wrenches his arm ever tighter behind his back.

"I could shatter both of your arms with the twitch of my hands. Is that really something you want? Because I would be more than happy to," Clary snarls in outrage and continued to twists his arm even tighter.

The dark-haired mundane had nothing to say, now; He finally realized that they are more dangerous than they seem. Jordan walks up to stand in front of the boy and nods at Clary to let him go. Reluctantly, she releases him with a shove, causing him to stumble forward into Jordan's fist that just so happened to be soaring toward his nose.

Jordan smiles at the outcome of his punch before taking Maia by the waist and leading her out of the club. The rest hasten after them, but not before glancing back at the dazed mundane who was still sitting on his ass with a bloody nose.

The group makes their way through the ever-busy streets of the city, their breath puffing in clouds from the steadily dropping temperature. The early December chill is close to freezing, making Clary wish that she had worn more than a skirt and leather jacket. Shivering from the cold, she leans into Jace's side and he wraps an arm around her for warmth. When her teeth start chattering, Jace pulls her to a stop, and the rest of the group stops a few yards ahead when they realize the other two stopped.

"Here, give me your arm," Jace orders with a smirk. "Your teeth-clicking is very annoying." Clary holds out her arm while he pulls his stele out of his leather jacket. He gently pushes her sleeve up and begins tracing a rune into her forearm; by now, Clary has been adorned with countless runes, but they still stung slightly. As soon as the tip of the stele leaves her skin, Clary is flooded with warmth, cutting off her shivering.

"A heat rune, nice," Clary smiles at him in gratitude. Gently, Jace lowers his lips to her outstretched arm and gently kisses the spot that is now marked. Clary blushes as a different type of heat courses through her body to the pit of her stomach, giving her butterflies.

"Can you guys hurry up?" Jordan shouts from a distance. "Simon doesn't get cold anymore, and you guys have magical runes and shit to keep you warm, but Maia and I are freaking freezing." Jace and Clary smile and walk hand in hand to where the rest of their friends stand waiting.

"Mush! Mush! Lead the way," Jace shouts and mimics holding the reins of a dog sled. Everybody, with the exception of Jordan, busts up with laughter at the comment.

"Watch it Lightwood, I am not a sled dog, and you are no Cuba Gooding Jr.," Jordan literally growls. Jace, Isabelle, and Alec look at him with confusion, while Simon, Maia, and Clary laugh even harder.

"It's a kid's movie," Simon explains to the confused shadow hunters that grew up without modern conveniences, such as TV and movies. "This dentist from Miami inherits a cabin and some sleigh dogs in Alaska….." he trails off with an annoyed look. "And you're not listening," Simon draws out the 'A' in and, then sighs.

"It's okay Si, we'll have to have a movie marathon, or something to catch them up," Clary pats Simon on the back as they walk. The rest of the walk consisted of small talk and banter- along with Simon questioning Izzy about what movies she's seen, which turns out to be very few.

After what feels like miles, and a couple near-death experiences from Clary slipping on ice in high heels, they finally round the corner and enter Taki's. The diner is fairly small, so as soon as they walk in, they can see that their usual booth is taken. The man sitting at their booth has his back to them, and he has black hair that is arranged in a tastefully messy way, and sparkling in the fluorescent lighting of the diner.

"Magnus?" Isabelle says in disbelief. When he stands and turns her way, she beams a huge smile, and launches herself into his arms. "Magnus! What are you doing here?

He smiles at his best friend and hugs her back before turning to the rest of the group. "Out on the town so soon, Clary?" Magnus smiled and gave her a hug before whispering in her ear. "Thank you for that chat today. I really appreciate it," he whispered so that only Clary could hear. Before she could reply, he had already turned to greet everyone else. "Jace, Samson, Children of the Moon," he nodded at each, purposefully messing up Simon's name as always. Finally, he turned to Alec, his ex, who was lingering back by the door with his eyes downcast.

"Alexander," Magnus nods, his face and voice completely devoid of emotion, unlike his eyes. His eyes churned with an inexpressible amount of sadness and pain. Alec glanced up to mumble a hello, revealing the sadness that was apparent in his eyes as well.

"So what brings you here?" Isabelle asked in an effort to break the awkward silence that ensued.

"Can't a man visit the local downworld diner as he pleases?" Magnus retorts.

"Magnus, really? You wouldn't be caught dead here unless it was important," Izzy replies with her arms crossed and her brows raised.

"Touché, my dear," Magnus smiles, and then gets down to business. "There's been more demonic activity on the lower east side, so I thought I'd let you guys know," he shrugged.

"Perfect!" Izzy claps as if he were talking about a party; if there is anything that Isabelle Lightwood likes more than fashion, it's slaying demons.

Jace turns to face Clary and Alec to consult them about a possible hunt. "You up for it?" he asks, mainly directing it to Clary.

"You know it," Clary replies with a devious smile. Aside from a few nasty bruises, Clary already felt back to normal after her last hunt.

"Just so you know, I think there's another shadowhunter there already," Magnus added on as an afterthought. This comment caught Alec's attention, since he is the oldest shadowhunter and has authority over matters like these.

"Another shadowhunter in the vicinity?" Alec asks, finally looking Magnus in the eyes.

Magnus replies with a bit of a surprised look on his face; he didn't think that Alec would talk to him at all. "Yes, a woman. That's all I can tell. Could it be your mother?" he asked with curiosity.

"No, she doesn't usually go on hunts, especially not alone," Jace pipes in. The most recent action that Maryse, or even Robert Lightwood got was the battle against Sebastian and the dark shadowhunters at the Seventh Sacred Site.

"Well there's a synagogue a couple blocks down," Simon informs the rest, but they just stare at him. "What? I thought you guys could get weapons from any holy place as long as you don't have a certain religious affiliation," Simon explains, as if to prove that he has been paying attention all along.

"Hmm," Jace muses, "I never knew that, thanks for the tip, Daylighter." Simon grumbles something along the lines of 'you'll thank me someday' and turns away.

"Hey. Well tonight was fun and all, but we're gonna split now and leave you guys to your business," Jordan says while awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and fidgeting.

"Ah, inexperienced love, how _romantic_," Jace gushes and holds his hands clasped in front of him in a very Magnus-like way. "Well, we don't want to keep you from your _business_, either," Jace smirks at the two, earning him a rude hand gesture from Jordan, and a light punch to the shoulder from Maia. _Leave it to Jace to find a way to insert an innuendo at the most random of times_, Clary thinks with a small smile playing on her lips.

"Screw you, dude!" Jordan says in mock anger, and walks out the door with Maia in tote.

Right before the door shuts, Jace shouts after them. "Sorry, you're just not my type!" he yells, producing another round of laughs from the rest. Turning back to the rest, Jace addresses them with a lingering smirk. "Alright, lets gear up and go end this night properly."

* * *

After getting weapons and gear at the nearby Synagogue, the young shadowhunters make their way to the area that Magnus detailed to them. Simon had left before they entered the holy place, to go wherever he goes when Maia and Jordan are 'busy', and you can see the sadness and longing in his face; Simon can no longer even utter the name of his holy god, and it pained him to be near a place he used to take for granted- only to realize how dear it was for him.

Simon grew up with a very devout Jewish mother, always grumbling and complaining about being dragged to prayer every Saturday and having to recite the prayers, and wear the _tallit _and _yamaka. _Now, he was miserable when reminded of his old life and family. _All because I had to drag him along with us to Magnus' party. If he hadn't been there, he would've never drunk that damn rat potion, _Clary's face stays pulled down in a slight grimace at her thoughts.

"Clary? Are you okay?" Jace questions Clary with a worried look on his face.

"Hmm? Yeah I'm fine. Just thinking," she waves off dismissively, and when Jace raises his eyebrows for an explanation, she ignores him once more. They continue to walk towards the water's edge in tense silence. The industrial streets smell like garbage and sewerage, but with a hint of something more putrid. If not for special training, the four of them wouldn't even be able to pick up on the stench of the nearby demons; to mundanes, it would just smell like rotting garbage.

Alec, who is leading them, suddenly stops in his tracks and holds and hand up towards the rest in a signal to stop. Just as Jace opens his mouth to talk, Alec cuts him off with a stern look and places his index finger over his lips, silencing him. Then, he turns to a cluster of buildings and cups his ear, then points to the buildings.

They stand in silence and strain their ears to listen for whatever it is that Alec was motioning at. After a couple moments of concentration, Clary could hear very faint grunting and the clattering of weapons, along with slithering and groaning noises of demons.

Jace's face spread out into a wicked grin as he pulled out his angel blade. "Sounds like some poor shadowhunter needs our help."

* * *

The dank, musty foundation creaked in protest as they made their way through the cluttered depot building. Jace takes the lead, with Isabelle and Clary flanking him, and Alec holding up the rear to watch everyone's backs. They pick their way around scattered debris and abandoned crates, until they finally come upon one of those flimsy swinging double doors with a square plastic window; just like the ones that lead to the storage rooms of a grocery store, or the kitchen in a restaurant. The noises they heard from earlier were much louder now. Jace attempted to look through the small windows on the door, but it was pointless because of the grime that covered it. From the sounds, however, it was easy to tell that there was at least one shadowhunter in the room.

Alec walks around to stand next to Jace, and as if on cue, both slam a door open and jump into the room. Before the doors could swing shut, Izzy and Clary joined the boys in the large room to see a young shadowhunter, around their age, fending off an Achaierai Demon.

The girl looks to be about Alec's age, maybe a little older, and she has blonde hair that is pulled up into a pony tail, but most of the hair is clinging to her sweaty neck. She wears the typical black leather gear and weapons belt, along with a glowing Seraph blade clutched confidently between her hands.

As the doors burst open, her eyes flash to the sudden commotion, but quickly refocus on the kill. In that brief moment, Clary caught a glimpse of chocolate brown eyes that flashed with the thrill of the fight, as well as something more. What exactly that was, Clary couldn't put her finger on. Was it smug? Expecting? _No, there's no way this girl was expecting us, unless she just magically knows Magnus and he told her…_

Clary was jerked out of her thoughts as Isabelle snapped into motion in front of her, charging towards a Drevak demon that was lingering in the shadows and staying out of the fight; usually they served as messengers, reporting back to whoever summoned them.

A Hydra demon turned on Isabelle just as she was finishing off the last Drevak, its current form being some sort of alligator body while two tiger heads sat on its shoulders, jaws snapping at Izzy's unprotected back.

"Eremiel!" Clary screamed, and her angel blade burst to life just before slicing into the Hydra's leg. It howled in pain and turned on her. Izzy turned from the now dissipating Drevak and flicked her whip over her head like a helicopter, and wrapped it around one of the tiger's heads, slicing it off in one clean motion. The rest of the body and the remaining head did not stop to grieve the lost appendage; it roared in outrage and lunged at Isabelle who neatly sidestepped the beast and let Clary finish it off with a solid blow to it soft underbelly.

"Nice, Clary!" Isabelle throws in congratulations, and they start in on the nearest demon, quickly finishing it off in a similar manner. The two girls worked in almost perfect synchronization.

"That was cake," Jace huffed out while trying to catch his breath. Clary looks around the room in astonishment. Any trace of a demon was gone, disappeared into thin air, like a wisp of smoke.

Ignoring Jace, Isabelle turns to Clary and grins wide at her friend. "I told you we'd be good together! We've never tried working together before."

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome," Clary laughed along. "Easy as breathing!"

Once Clary's breathing returned to normal, she turned to find Alec talking to the blonde girl. Jace was lingering nearby Alec, as always.

Isabelle walked up to Alec with a confused look on her face. Although Magnus had told them that there was another shadowhunter in the area already, it still came as a shock to them all; it wasn't often that a random Nephilim came passing through.

Clary examined the girl closer as she made her way to Jace's side. She seemed very relaxed talking with Alec, and they seemed deep in conversation. Clary realized that she couldn't see the girls aura, which puzzled her. Every shadowhunter has had one so far, as well as every living creature. Remembering a passage from the dusty old book Magnus lent her, she concentrated on the girl, peeling back the layers, like she used to have to do to see through a glamour. After a couple of failed attempts, Clary peeled away the last layer of the other girls protective wall, until she was left bare and in the open.

Clary could tell that the girl's aura would be absolutely beautiful if it weren't for the ugly gray overlay. Just like the wall that guarded her aura in the first place, the gray overlay brought a sense of guardedness and it was easy to tell that the girl didn't trust easily. If not for the murkiness, her aura would be a gorgeous emerald green with the gold and white plumes of divinity and angelic power that they were all born with. The green struggled to glow through, but it was failing. It tried to blossom and heal itself, but she was too withheld, despite her relaxed demeanor.

"Looks like we're going to have a guest for a while," Alec called out to the rest of the group and motioned to the blonde-haired girl. Jace, Clary, and Isabelle looked at him with questioning eyes.

Rolling her eyes, the young woman stepped forward and offered a hand out for them to shake. "Adira Hightower, newbie trainer," she smiled and glanced at Clary.

Izzy, being her normal cheery self, stepped forward first and daintily shook her hand to be polite. "Isabelle Lightwood, fashionable demon destroyer," she played along with the introduction including her name and self-given title.

Adira then turned to Jace, and her eyes visibly went a wider when she got a good look at him. Jace smirked and kept his arms crossed over his muscular chest. "Jace Lightwood," he simply stated, choosing to use his adoptive name. When it became clear that the girls eyes weren't going to move from Jace's godly figure, Clary sighed in annoyance and cleared her throat. Adira's eyes reluctantly focused onto Clary.

"Clary Fray. The noob you get to train," she said in as polite of a voice that she could muster. The girl seemed nice enough, but something about her just made Clary uncomfortable. _Probably because she was practically drooling over your boyfriend, _a voice in the back of Clary's head told her. To make the relationship clear, or maybe just to reassure herself, Clary confidently wrapped her arm around Jace's waist and smiled up at him.

Of course, Jace could see straight through her little charade and smiled at her with a little laugh. Either way, he played along and wrapped his arm around her shoulders before softly kissing the top of her head.

When Clary turned back to Adira, the girl had on a neutrally happy face, but her eyes frowned that Jace was obviously taken. "Not bad for being new," she offered with a small smile. "But it's going to take you a while to catch up with the rest of us," she said as if she was the longtime friend, and Clary was the newcomer. _No shit, my mom kinda kept a different whole world from me till I was 16," _Clary thinks to herself with annoyance, but the other girl couldn't have known that already.

"The infamous Valentine Morgenstern's daughter, I see," she tests Clary with the question. Instantly, Clary becomes uncomfortable and fidgets under Jace's arm. _I stand corrected. _

Jace quickly sensed her unease and tightened his arm around Clary, and spoke up for her. "She's not his daughter, and he was never her father. He was nothing but a sperm donor," Jace says in a calm voice, but the point came across clear: that topic is off limits.

"Let's get back to the Institute. It's late, and I'm sure we're all tired."

* * *

**Wow! super long chapter! Sorry it's been longer than usual since I've updated, but I was stumped on how introduce the trainer. But voila! I got it! And I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a way to add in some Malec drama, but it will happen eventually, I promise! I was thinking maybe a chapter in Alec's point of view. Or maybe just a section of a chapter. Plus, I've been Beta-ing for someone. Go check out the story Red and Gold by sharky-clarky. Its a Mortal Instruments one and I really like it! Very creative(:**

**OH OH OH! I just started another story! I think it's a good idea! I haven't read one like it yet, that's for sure. It's shadowhunter Clary who was raised in Idris by her mom and normal shadowhunter Valentine(not the crazy evil one). So Clary's kind of a bad ass. And yea I have like a chapter written. So. What do you think of that idea?**

**Anyways! Please please read, review, comment, suggest, whatever! Any ideas for Malec, or other cutesy little filler chapters? It would be a huge help and keep things flowing if you guys throw some stuff out there. Whatever little things you want to maybe happen! I'll definitely think em over and see if i can squeeze anything in(:**

**Thank you soooo much I love you all! *Interweb hugs***


	11. Chapter 11

**Jeez! It seems like it's been a while, and I wanted to update a few days ago, but my internet was out ): Well, here it is and I hope you guys like it. It's kind of just a filler, but oh well.**

**Disclaimer: I obviously own nothing, except for the plot line and any characters of my imagination (: **

* * *

The morning after her 'come back' party, Clary woke up in a daze, with a pounding headache, and 3 missed calls from her mother. Groaning, she reasoned that she could shower and get ready for the day before calling her mom back.

By 8:30, Clary was showered, clothed, and her messy hair was tamed. Grounding herself for a no doubt fight with her mother, she sat down on her bed and dialed the number. _This should be fun. _

After only two rings, the other line picked up, and Clary squeaked out a greeting when Jocelyn didn't say hello.

"Hi mom," Clary sighed into the phone and leaned back against the wall her bed was on.

"I hope you enjoyed your last night staying at the Institute, because I expect you to be home for dinner at 6:30 sharp," Jocelyn answered in a calm, but tense tone.

"But, mom-" Clary tried to explain her side, but was abruptly cut off by her mom.

"No buts, Clarissa. I trusted your judgment, and I really did believe that you would improve at a faster rate. I was wrong," Jocelyn had started out with a cross voice, but ended with a sigh of obvious disappointment.

"Listen, I'm sorry okay?" Clary started out angrily. "I've been doing my damn best, but nothing is going to please you. No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do," Clary blew out all her frustration before her mom could interject again. "Maryse even hired some chick from freaking Alicante to come and train me. So you don't have much to worry about seeing as how Jace won't be training me anymore."

"Clarissa Adele Fray!" Jocelyn huffed out over the phone. "I raised you better than to talk to me like this, and I expect you to watch your language! You were stung by a _Scorpios demon _for God's sake! Do you know how much worry you put me through? And you didn't even think to call me when you woke up, _and _you went out clubbing, without my permission!" Jocelyn ranted on and on, making Clary's headache grow.

"I know what happened and I know what I did. I'm sorry for worrying you, but danger is clear in the job description of a shadowhunter. You know that as well as I do. I'm tired, sore, and I have a headache okay?" Frustrated tears threaten to spill from Clary's eyes, but she blinked them back.

"Being a shadowhunter isn't easy, honey," Jocelyn's voice had calmed down to normal in empathy for her daughter. "That's why I want you home. I don't want you to be sucked into this life, and then be miserable."

"I'm not miserable though, I'm just a little stressed with what's been going on. Plus, this new trainer isn't helping at all. I already don't like her," Clary sighed, and realized how grateful she was to have her mother to talk to.

"Would this happen to have anything to do with Jace?" Jocelyn asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"NO!" Clary immediately replied. "Well, maybe, I don't know. She sure was checking him out yesterday," Clary muttered that last part under her breath, but of course, her mother heard her.

"Well don't go starting trouble where it's not warranted. And Clary? Don't stress the small stuff honey," Jocelyn's voice smiled through the phone.

"Yeah, I'll try mom. I have to get off here, so I guess I'll see you tonight," Clary sighed into the phone.

"We'll talk some more, later. I love you!"

"Love you too, mom," Clary replied before hanging up the phone. With a big sigh, Clary rose from her perch on the bed and stretched. Then, she set off to find Jace to tell him what was going on with her living arrangements.

Clary walked through the cavernous hallways towards Jace's room, while trying to come up with an explanation for him and Izzy. Jace would be upset, but he would deal with it. He'd already been replaced as her trainer, and he knew how strict Jocelyn could be. Isabelle, on the other hand, would throw an absolute fit over it. She wouldn't say anything directly to Jocelyn, out of respect, but boy, Clary knew she was never going to hear the end of it. Knowing Izzy, she would probably try to talk Clary out of the new arrangement with Clary's mom, especially now that they've decided to pair together.

Clary knocked lightly on Jace's bedroom door, and when nobody answered, she peeked her head in to see if he was there. When she didn't see him, she walked through his room to the bathroom and looked in there as well; no signs of Jace. She decided to just call for Church, the cat, instead to see if he could lead her to Jace.

"Church!" Clary called out and her voice echoed down the hallway. She stood there for a minute before she saw the white Persian cat round the corner. She crouched down in front of the cat and he immediately plopped himself down, very ungracefully, so she would pet him. Sighing at the cat, she scratched behind his ears and under his chin before standing back up. Satisfied, Church heaved himself up from the ground and looked up at her expectantly. "Can you take me to Jace?"

With a huff, the cat turned and walked away, expecting her to follow. He led her down the halls and around a couple of corners until they were in the kitchen. The _deserted _kitchen. "There's nobody in here, cat," Clary said with exasperation. Church sauntered lazily over to his food bowl and sat next to it, looking at her expectantly. "Fatty," Clary muttered as she bent down to pick up both of his bowls. She filled the water bowl with fresh water from the tap, and opened a can of the slimy wet cat food he likes. All the while, the cat sat there licking his lips and waiting for his meal.

When the cat decided to take his time, Clary decided to get herself something to eat too. The only edible things were leftover take-out, and a lot of snack foods. Clary settled on an untoasted strawberry Poptart. As she munched on her breakfast, she became so enveloped in her own thoughts that she didn't notice someone enter the kitchen door to her back.

When someone cleared their throat, Clary jumped a little and spun around in her bar stool to see who it was. Adira, her new trainer, stood right inside the doorway. The tall, bottle blonde girl stood there with her arms crossed haughtily over her chest.

When the silence became unbearable, Clary gave in and spoke first. "Um, hi?" her greeting came out more as a question than a statement. The other girl smirked at her and walked towards the fridge. "Good luck trying to find something edible. My advice would be to not eat anything that's _not_ in a to-go container. Nobody cooks here," Clary explains, trying to be friendly. After rummaging through the mostly empty fridge, Adira pulls out some ingredients to make a sandwich.

"Thanks for the advice. Want one?" she asks, obviously trying to be kind as well, but her voice is tense and strained, as was Clary's.

"No I'm good," Clary replies. When she sees Adira looking for plates and silverware, Clary hops off of her perch, throws her trash away and shows her where everything is. "The silverware is in that top drawer there," Clary points to the drawer near the fridge. "Cups and plates are up there," she points again to a different cupboard. "Nothing else really gets used since nobody cooks, but we have just about any cooking appliance you could think of." Clary laughs at the irony and Adira even smiles a little too.

"Thank you Clarissa," Adira replies and her smile turns into a smirk.

"It's just Clary, I don't go by my full first name," Clary tells her, and she replies with a 'my bad'. Despite seeming very nice, Clary had a feeling that Adira didn't like her very much. When the she called Clary by Clarissa, and said 'my bad' her aura swirled a little, and Clary got the feeling that incidents like that would be happening a lot. _What the hell? _Clary thought to herself, and frowned inwardly. _Whatever. _

When Clary turned and started to leave, Adira tossed her head over her shoulder, and her hair flew around with the movement. Clary tried to suppress an eye roll at the dramatics. "We'll start your training tomorrow at 9 a.m. Don't be late," she grins at me, but her eyes glint with something other than kindness.

This time, Clary let her eyes roll and replied with the same amount of mock-kindness. "No problem, I'll see you then!" Clary turns on her heel and stalks out of the kitchen, forgetting completely about the cat that was going to accompany her to find Jace.

* * *

Annoyed and frustrated, Clary decides to go to the training room and work out her frustration a little. Throwing daggers at the wooden targets always seemed to release some of her tension. Plus, she might find the golden boy she's been looking for.

To her dismay, the training room is empty. Instead of continuing to look for her boyfriend, Clary decides to go through with her earlier plan. The first dagger flies at the target, and hits pretty far from the bulls-eye, but the impact made a definite _thud. _Clary closes her eyes and breathes in deeply through her nose, and slowly exhales as she opens her eyes. The dagger hits dead center on the small red circle.

With a proud smile, Clary deftly plucks a dagger from behind her and pivots to sink the dagger right next to the last one. This time, she picks up a lightweight dagger and stands with her back to the target. With a small grunt, Clary twists and flicks the dagger sideways like a Frisbee, and the force sinks it in to the hilt.

Before she can send another dagger flying, a beautiful voice startles her, and it clatters to the ground.

"Someone's annoyed," Jace states the obvious. Clary sighs and picks up the fallen dagger and places it back on the table.

"You could say that," Clary replies with no emotion and retrieves the daggers from the target. When she got to the last dagger that had sunk into the wood target completely, she had a bit of trouble. She could feel Jace's presence behind her, and his golden hand appeared over her shoulder and yanked it free.

Finally, Clary turned around and leaned against the target, letting her head loll back in the process. Before she closed her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the concern in Jace's. "What happened that could possibly upset you so much? My equally gorgeous evil twin didn't break up with you, did he?" Jace chuckled and Clary's stony face cracked into a small smile.

"I'm just frustrated. I have to go back to living at Luke's apartment. My mom was pissed," Clary explained and opened her eyes to see how he would react.

"Did you get into an argument?" he asked with a small frown of disappointment.

"Yeah, but we're okay. We're going to talk more tonight; I realized how much I miss talking with my mom," Clary answered. Jace's hands found her face and he cradled her cheeks in his calloused palms.

"If that's what has to be done, then okay. I want you to be happy, Clary," Jace's face warmed into a loving smile. After spending almost every day with him, Clary thought the butterflies would eventually stop. Her personal tummy butterflies beg to differ.

With a smile Clary leans up onto her tip toes and kisses him softly. To her surprise, he doesn't try to deepen the kiss in any way; he just wraps his arms around her and kisses her back with warm, soft lips. Although it was not heated, the kiss still made Clary light-headed and breathless. Jace was the first to pull away and he put his chin on the top of Clary's head. When she nuzzled into his chest, he turned his cheek into her red hair.

When Clary realized how quiet it had become, she questioned him. "Now it's my turn to ask, so what's wrong? You're really quiet."

"WELL, IF I'M BEING TOO QUIET, I CA-," Clary cut Jace's unnecessarily loud retort off with a peck on the lips.

"No, no! There's absolutely nothing wrong with silence," Clary giggled and pulled away to finish putting the daggers away. Jace helped her, and they made small talk.

"So, you don't have to train today, right?" asks Jace.

"No, thank the Angel; I start tomorrow. _Nine A.M. sharp_," Clary mimics Adira's fake voice.

"Whoa, is it just me, or am I sensing some hostility?" Jace smirks and crosses his arms over his chest while staring her down.

"No, of course not!" Clary answers in an obviously sarcastic voice. "Yeah I guess so. There's something about her that just seems off. And her colors are dirty and gross," Clary explains.

"Colors?" Jace asks in confusion.

"Her aura. It would be a pretty green if it weren't so dirty. She's a nature loving person, but there's something she's hiding. I just know it."

Jace looked at her with an awe-shocked face. "You can tell that much about a person by their 'colors'?"

"Yes. I know it sounds weird, but to me, it seems natural. Plus, everybody's that I've seen seems to suit them," Clary shrugs as if it's nothing important.

"Okay, then what am I? Besides devilishly handsome and charming, of course," Jace tacks on with his I-am-a-god tone of voice. Of course, Clary knew that he didn't mean it.

"You, my jack-ass of a boyfriend, are very conceited," Clary laughed at his look of mock-hurt. "You're a deep, pure red, which stands for confidence. You definitely have that. Then it's pure gold, and a pearly white. Each shadowhunter has the bits of gold and white because it's angelic, but yours is much more. I'm guessing that mine is, too, since we have more angel blood."

"Wow. So demons don't have them, right?" he asks like a child who wants to ask about every little thing.

"No, but that's probably because they're not alive. Even if they were, it'd probably be black. Simon isn't living either, but his is still faintly there. I would guess that that's because he was alive at one point, or maybe it has something to do with his Daylighter status," Clary shrugs once more.

"Oh, speaking of death," Jace exclaims, "Brother Zachariah said we need to take you to the Silent City soon, since you technically died. We don't want you going through what I did with the nightmares."

After a moment of thought, Clary told Jace about her nightmare from just before she woke up from her mini-coma. She told him about the streets running with blood, and the bodies that were strewn carelessly like trash. She told him about the confrontation with her brother, and how he stabbed her in the chest, right where she was stung by the Scorpios demon.

Jace remained silent through the explanation, but he was ready with an answer as soon as she finished. "We need to go today, Clary. That's definitely not a good dream, but it ended with Sebastian actually stabbing you. If that was true, then you should be dead, just like how I was really marked with Lilith's mark when I woke up from the dream I had of Max. But obviously, you're not, so that's good. Hopefully it was just pain from your wound getting pulled into the dream," Jace sighed and rubbed his hand over his face in frustration.

"Yeah I figured that we would have to sooner or later," Clary sighed and pulled Jace's hand away from where he was rubbing his face. Their hands interlaced and he gave her a small smile, but his eyes were filled with worry and unease.

"You should probably call your mom," Jace said after a few minutes of peaceful silence. "Let her know what's going on."

"Yeah, I guess so," Clary pulled out her phone and started walking away from Jace.

"Hey, mom," Clary greeted. "I don't know if I can make it in time for dinner. Can you meet me in the Silent City?"

* * *

**How was that? Please review and tell me what you think! Any little things you want to see? Clary/Adira cat fights? Sizzy? Malec? I don't have any ideas for Malec, so please, if you think of anything, go ahead and share it! I will most definitely give you credit for the idea! What do you guys think about a Christmas chapter? I didn't really plan the time line around the current time, but if you guys want something festive, I could definitely come up with something! Please review, my lovelies! More reviews= Happy Me. Happy Me= Awesome Chapters. Awesome Chapters= Happy You! It's a win-win, so just review, fave, follow, recomend, whatever!**

**Last thing. Go ready Red and Gold by sharky-clarky I beta that story and it has a very interesting story of future Clace, Sizzy, Malec, and their kids!**

**Oops. One more thing. I'm spreading the word on a new Role Play forum, and you should check it out! I'll put the link at the bottom. Read the info on it, read the rules, and email the creator Lady Seraphina Lightwood with questions, and how to join(: Thank you all so much!**

**Ze Magical Link: forum/Mortal-Instruments-Roleplay/142390/**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ermagerd. I have had such bad writers block! So sorry It's been a while since I've updated! Gah. Please, any Malec ideas? Any fluffy suggestions? They would help so much for filler chapters, which this basically is. Seriously guys, anything, anything at all, you will be credited for any ideas I use! Ahhh so anyways, read review, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any OC's**

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Apparently, the Silent Brothers were expecting us, because when we got there they were ready for the ritual. Brother Zachariah and an Iron Sister, I think her name was Sister Dolores, were the ones to perform the birth rites for me.

Sister Dolores wore a long white gown with electrum wire around her waist and on her wrists. The weird thing is, she doesn't appear to have _any _wrinkles whatsoever, and her bright orange eyes make her look vibrantly young, yet she also looks ancient, despite her lack of blemishes.

The actual ritual itself took no longer than 30 minutes, but it seemed to drag on forever. I was stretched out on an uncomfortable table while the Brother and Sister chanted together, Brother Zachariah's voice in my mind, and Sister Dolores' voice out loud. The words were spoken in an unfamiliar language that sounded older than time, making ancient Latin and Greek sound contemporary. During the chanting, they drew runes of protection on my skin. They burned more than normal runes, but after they were done, I felt protected.

Before I knew it, I was in a cab with my mother and heading towards Luke's bookstore. The ride went by in a peaceful silence, and when we got home, Luke greeted us with pizza.

"Hey! How'd it go?" he asked my mom and I, giving me a hug and my mom a kiss. They've been engaged for the longest time, but with the recent events, it's been postponed indefinitely.

"It was fine, I guess. I wouldn't really know," I sigh and leave my mom and Luke to talk. Seeing the untouched pizza, I grab a couple slices and heat it up. After grabbing a can of soda, I go to the small dining area that is connected to the living room. As soon as I enter, Luke and mom stop talking and turn to stare at me.

"What?" I mumble around a bite of food. Jocelyn came and sat across from me and Luke left with a sheepish smile and a small wave.

"I figured that we need to talk," she smiled at me and I set down my pizza and wiped the grease from my fingers.

"About?" I prompt with an expectant look.

"I just thought you would want to talk about why I made you move back home," Jocelyn stated with a puzzled expression.

"I know why. I technically got myself killed, and then went clubbing a couple days after without permission. I'm sure Jace factors into the equation somewhere," I shrug and continue to eat. "I'm not going to argue about it. It's pointless, and it'll just piss us both off."

"No arguments?" her eyebrows all but disappeared into the hair on her forehead in a look of utter disbelief.

"No, but it's going to make things a _lot _harder, you know," I sigh a bit more dramatically than needed. Maybe if I play it up a little, she'll relax and let me go back to the Institute.

"Yes, going there every day to train will be difficult, but you're going to have to get used to it. And, this isn't all about Jace. I'm sure he is a great trainer, but he's your boyfriend too; You have to remember, I was a teenager once too."

"Mom!" I whine, "You can't _seriously _think that-" I tried to complain, but she cut me off.

"I just want you to be safe. You can talk to me about anything, and if you need to be put on the pill-" she states calmly, but it's my turn to cut in.

"_MOM_!" I yell, trying to get her attention. She looks at me with a concerned-mother type of look. "Mom," I say again, but more calmly this time, "I am still a virgin, okay? You don't need to worry about that. What I was talking about was something _completely _different."

"Well, you don't need to yell, although I'm glad you're still a virgin. I'm still putting you on birth control, though, just to be safe," Jocelyn says.

"What? Mom- ugh," I sigh and bury my hands in my face before continuing. "Okay, whatever, I'll take it. I wanted to tell you that Isabelle and I want to be paired as parabatai."

With a gasp, mom jumps out of her chair, rushes to my side, and gives me an awkward half hug since I'm still sitting and she is standing.

"Clary, that's wonderful! Are you sure about this, though? I know how that girl gets, she won't take no for an answer," my mom only questions my judgment because she's obligated to as a mother; I can tell that she's excited for me since she never had a parabatai.

"Yes, mom, I'm positive. She's my best friend, besides Simon, and the only girl-friend I've ever had. When we fight, we're perfectly in sync, and we're so much better when we fight together," I explain with a smile.

"I hope that you're not thinking that this will get me to allow you living back at the Institute so soon, though. You're not getting off that easily, but you and Isabelle both know that she's more that welcome to live or stay here whenever she wants. It's hard for new parabatai to be apart from each other for a while after the pairing," my mom says with a large smile, but I groan inwardly at the part about me not living at the Institute anytime soon.

When we finished eating, I wandered off to my room to unpack what little belongings I had at the Institute. Sadly, my meager belongings only included the orange bed spread I bought to brighten up my white room at the Institute, some books, art supplies, and clothes. I put everything in the correct places and settled onto the purple duvet on my bed with my phone. The notification light was blinking, so I scrolled through my messages to see two from Izzy and one from Jace.

_Hey, how'd it go? Was your mom mad? –Izzy_

_ANSWER YOUR PHONE PLEASE! I'm dying of curiosity over here. –Izzy_

_Text me when you get this, just wanna make sure your mom didn't kill you. -Jace_

The first one was from about an hour ago, and the second one was more recent, but Isabelle was just being impatient. _Eh, she can wait a bit longer, _I think with a smirk and reply to Jace first.

_Nope, I'm alive! You think I can't protect myself? :P –C_

Seconds later, the phone buzzed twice, meaning I received two messages.

_Well, you did kind of get knocked out the other day…(; -Jace_

The second message was from none other than Isabelle.

_I'm sitting across the table from Jace, and I know you text him! He always smiles at your messages. Don't make me come over there to get answers! –Izzy_

With an eye roll, I reply swiftly so the impatient girl doesn't hemorrhage over my reply speed.

_I'm busy. Call you later? –C_

_You're texting Jace! Obviously not busy. :( -Izzy_

_Someone needs a Xanax. Calm yourself, woman. I'll ttyl. –C_

_Jerk. You're gonna make me get cold feet about this parabatai thing. –Izzy_

_No you won't. You love me. BYE IZZY! –C_

After making myself clear, Izzy doesn't text me again. Now that I dodged Izzy's persecution, I text Jace back.

_Well, I didn't see you coming to the rescue, now did I? –C_

Apparently, Jace took my message the wrong way, because seconds later, my phone was ringing the _Game of Thrones _theme and Jace's caller ID picture popped up. The second I picked up, I was bombarded with apologies.

"Clary, I didn't mean it like that. I know, I should have been there and I'm so sorry I wasn't," Jace breathed out in a rush and I chuckled over the line.

"I was just giving you a hard time, Jace, calm down. It's not your fault that I didn't stay in formation and wandered off," I say in a soothing voice with a light tone.

"Really, Clary. I _should _have been there, but I wasn't. I let you get hurt," he replied, trying to apologize still.

"Jace. Stop," I say in a firm voice, and he shuts up. "No one is to blame here, okay? I'm alive and well. Please stop apologizing."

"Okay, fine," Jace grumbles into the other line. I smile, and thank him before asking him why Isabelle is so antsy.

"Oh that? That's just Isabelle being Isabelle. She's probably worried your mom's not going to let you guys pair," Jace laughed into the phone, and some background noise came through the line. "Speak of the devil!" Jace sighs before crackling noises come through and Izzy's angry voice starts shouting.

"What's going on, Clary?" Isabelle yells and I have to pull the phone away so I don't blow an eardrum.

"Calm. Down. Isabelle," I say slowly into the phone.

"I just want to stay in the loop. This is all nerve-wracking! I talked to Maryse, and she'll contact the Council as soon as your mom agrees," Isabelle says in a much more normal voice.

"Well, my mom is cool with it," I start and Izzy starts to squeal again in delight, but I cut her off. "I still have to live with my mom and Luke, though. Not forever, but for a while. I think that's supposed to be like a punishment."

"Well, not a very good one, really! You can just portal in and out as you please," Isabelle laughs at the petty sentence.

"Yeah, I guess so. Can I talk to Jace again? I gotta go soon," I explain, hoping that she buys my excuse. Luckily for me, Isabelle isn't paying much attention and lets me go.

"Finally, I thought she'd never leave me be!" I say dramatically, and Jace laughs at the other end.

"Yet, you're going to become parabatai. Don't you think that's a little weird?" Jace asks.

"Don't get me wrong, I love her to death! She's the only girl I've ever been friends with and I trust her completely. It's just that she is so…energetic," I say, finally deciding a word that describes Izzy perfectly.

"Whatever you say, Red. Whatever you say," he chuckles.

After a while on the phone talking, we finally say goodnight and hang up. I brush my teeth and change into pajamas, I climb under the covers and turn my table lamp on. I start doodling and sketching whatever comes to mind. My hand started drawing of its own accord, and I just went with the flow. My sketchbook is to me, like a diary is to other girls. Or boys. I use it to express my feelings, and the outcome ended up being pretty cool.

It was a simple pencil sketch college of random things. I drew Church looking expectant, waiting to be fed, and I drew Brother Z the way he looked earlier while performing the ceremony- he looked much more life-like than the rest of the Silent Brothers, and he had eyes and his mouth was not sewn shut like the rest.

I also drew a target that had multiple daggers stuck into it, and upon closer inspection, I realized that I had drawn a face on the bulls-eye. It was a familiar girl with light hair and dark eyes, and she had a smirk on her face.

As soon as I realized who it was, I instantly felt guilty. I had drawn Adira, my new trainer, as a target. I contemplated scrubbing out the face, but decided to leave it thinking, _Why not? _I quickly got over the guilt and laughed a little at my handiwork. I haven't even known the girl for long, but she sure as hell didn't give a very pleasant first impression.

_Ugh, I have training tomorrow, _I think to myself with a frown as I try to drift off to sleep. Eventually, the darkness consumed me and I fell into a blissful, dream-free sleep.

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**Okay so there you go, not the best but whatever. It's gonna have to work for now. Any suggestions on how to get out of a writers block? Any requests for fluff? Anything, people!**

**I want to recommend a story to you guys! Go check out Red and Gold by sharky-clarky, I beta for that story and it's really good! Also, any story by Wisterian Princess is good! Looooove her writing! You guys have any suggestions for me to read?  
**

**Oh, BTW, I'm now writing in first person, it's so much easier. Sorry for the sudden change!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I feel so bad for taking forever to update, so here's another fluffy Clace chapter to go along with yesterday's update(: Hope you all enjoy!**

**I really need a Beta Reader, it would be so helpful! Any takers? I need a buddy to collaborate with! Lol. **

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING but the plot and any OC's. Go figure.**

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_Briskly walking through the mist, I try to make sense of my surroundings. Something is wrong with my ankle, it hurts every time I put pressure on it, but I need to find an end to this mist. It's eerily quiet, and all the stores are empty. Breaking into a run, I sprint through the mist and catch small glances of familiar street signs. _Madison Avenue, 23rd Street, Park Avenue, 14th Street,_ the signs whiz by in a blur. I'm definitely in Manhattan, but I'm disoriented, and I don't know what's going on; I'm scared. New York City does not rest; The cars, buses, lights, they keep blaring at all hours, but now, they're silent. Trepidation trickles through my veins as I slow to a halt. The mist has dispersed, if only a little bit, and everything is in chaos. It is no longer silent: People are screaming, demons are snarling, streets are running with blood. Human innocents lay lifeless in the gutters, left to rot. Shadowhunters fight in vain all around me, only to fall before the demons and dark shadowhunter armies. The faces of my family and friends could be seen charging headfirst into their imminent deaths, fighting until the end. _

My brother has succeeded. He will fight until he wins, reigning on a throne of bones.

_The demons skitter in the bloody streets, hissing and growling, searching for easy prey to devour. I will not give in to these hideous creatures. I will fight until the last breath heaves from my lungs. So I fight. I fight until I'm aching and covered in blood and ichor. I fight until I can fight no more. I fight until I fall to my knees, and suddenly, the scene in front of me warps._

_I'm kneeling in an old warehouse that is rotting and falling apart. As if in a trance, I drag myself from my knees and stand. Weapons in hand, I wander through the halls of the building. I can hear a demon hissing in the distance and I stalk towards it, ready for a fight. Something feels extremely familiar about the area, as if I have been here before, but I continue on despite the unease in my stomach. Running my hand along the wall, I feel the vibration of energy coursing throughout the building and deep in my bones._

Death_, the word pops into my mind. _This place is full of death. It reeks of it._ My steps slow as I nears the hissing noise, ready to attack. Out of the blue, the hissing demon appears directly in front of me, blocking my path. I gasp in surprise and the hideous creature morphs before my eyes. Standing there in front of me is Johnathan, sneering in a way that looks like he is baring his teeth at me._

_ "Little sister, how nice it is to see you here!" he exclaims with mock surprise. He has a dagger held carelessly at his side, and he steps closer to me. I stumble back a step, not wanting to be near him. He frowns deeply at my withdrawal, and his hand clench into fists._

_ "You do not want to test me today, Clarissa. I am very busy and I need you to come with me," he explains, but he does not ask; he demands._

_With fire heating my face and eyes, I spit towards his feet in defiance. "I'm not going _anywhere_ with you, _big brother_," Clary mocks, twisting his own words to use against him. "I'd rather die," I inform him with a matter of fact tone._

_This made him furious and his eyes turned into black holes, ready to devour anything in its path. "Oh, little sister, you shouldn't have said that," he sighs. "I really did wish to spare you. But then again, you are an ungrateful little bitch just like our mother. So why should I even care?" Jonathan says, making sure to emphasize his words. He lifted his dagger to examine it in the light, twisting it this way and that, showing off the sharp edges. I knew what was coming next. I tried to jump out of the way, but it was far too late. Jonathan was lunging at me with a sick animosity in his face. The dagger descends upon me._

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The first thing I realized as I woke from the nightmare was the annoying beeping noise coming from nearby. I reach around on my nightstand to find the source of the infernal beeping, and slammed my hand down on the snooze button.

The second thing I realized was that I did not wake up screaming, and that the nightmare ended before Jonathan could stab me; I woke up like normal, groggy and tired.

The third thing I realized was that someone was in the room with me. I stayed calm and pretended I wasn't aware when I hit the snooze. In a flash I had a hidden dagger in my hand, poised to throw at the intruder. Thoughts flew through my head at a hundred miles an hour. _Jonathan. He's here, he probably already got Luke and mom, oh my God all I have is a damn dagger. _

"Easy, Fray. It's just your loving boyfriend here to escort you to the Institute," a warm, yet sarcastic voice comes from the corner of the room, out of my direct line of sight. As soon as my eyes land on the golden mop of hair, I relax and slump to sit on my bed, with my head in my hands, and my bed head hanging around my face.

"By the Angel, Jace," I barely manage to whisper out before he is sitting on my bed and holding me in his arms. I shiver at the warmth, and lean into his safe embrace.

"Another nightmare?" he asks quietly as to not disturb me. I numbly nod my head yes and his arms tighten. "I didn't mean to scare you, Clary. I came to walk you to the Institute, and your mom let me up to wake you. You looked so peaceful, and I didn't wake you up; I couldn't even tell you were having a bad dream."

"Bad dream? More like night terror, except I didn't attack you this time," I laugh shakily and sit up to look him in the eyes.

"If you want to talk..." he trails off and squeezes my hand in assurance.

"Not really. It was the same as before, except _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named _didn't stab me before my alarm went off," I say and shiver; I didn't even want to say his name out loud. Of course, Jace raised an eyebrow at my unintentional Harry Potter reference. Those kinds of things just come naturally; I don't even have to think about the various pop-culture references.

"Well that's a good sign, the ritual worked. In most nightmares, people wake up before anything seriously bad happens, like getting killed. Then again, shadowhunter's aren't very normal, huh?" Jace laughs lightly and I try to smile back, but fail.

"Yeah, I guess. No normalcy since I met your lot," I sigh and stand up to stretch. "I'm going to get changed so we can go."

Jace smirks and gestures for me to go on. I cross my arms and stare at him intently, but he doesn't break eye contact. Finally, I have to tear my eyes away so they wouldn't water up from our staring contest. With an irritated noise I walk over to my closet and gather clothes for the day. As I walk through my doorway to go change in the bathroom, Jace calls after me.

"Where do you think you're going, woman? Get back in here!" he yells in a fake, gruff sounding voice. I poke my head back in the doorway and smile sweetly before flipping him off and going to the bathroom to change. I change my clothes, wash my face, and brush my teeth in record time. I pull my hair into the messy bun that I have perfected without a mirror, and walk towards the kitchen.

When I walk back to my room with two apples in hand, Jace is sprawled out on my bed like he owns it, flipping through my sketchbook. I chuck one of the apples at his head and he catches it without looking up. _Damn him, and his shadowhunter reflexes, _I think with a frown.

"You know, I really like this drawing from…" he trails off while looking for the date on the page. "From last night," he chuckles and I sit next to him to see which picture he is talking about. It just so happened to be the one of a target with Adira's face on it, that just so conveniently had daggers stuck into it.

"Yeah me too," I giggle then put on a serious face. "I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that I _don't _like people going through my sketch book."

"Only about a hundred times," Jace smiles and take a bite out of the apple.

I roll my eyes and take the sketchpad from his hands so it doesn't get sticky from the apple. I place it, along with my pouch of basic writing utensils, a change of clothes, and my faithful hair brush into my messenger bag and put on my black running shoes with the electric blue details. As I stood up, Jace noticed my training outfit and gave me an approving grin. I wore black spandex shorts with a gray tank top that says "My Feet Hurt from Kicking So Much Ass" across the top.

"Stop staring at me, lecher!" I scold him, but he just sighs.

"Did you just call me a man-whore, Clary?" he asks then hangs his head before continuing sarcastically. "I love how highly you think of me."

I walk over to him and sit on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. "You know I love you!"

"Then, again, who doesn't love me!" he exclaims with zealous smile and spread his arms wide. "That was stupid of me to say because I'm amazing, of course, and _I _know _you_ love _me,_" he bursts into a genuine laugh at his own vanity.

"You know, a year ago, if someone told me I'd be dating a guy like you I would have laughed and said 'no way I would _ever_ date an arrogant ass like that'," I say to him and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"But, no girl had ever resisted my charming wit! Not even you, Fray. No matter what you say, I _know _I had you hooked the second we spoke," he smiles down at me.

"Yeah, I know. But ya know what? No regrets over here!" I smile back warmly.

"But Clary, since the first time I saw you, I have belonged to you completely. I still do," his words become increasingly softer as he goes on and I feel my eyes prickling, and soon enough, my vision gets a little blurry. Not full on sobbing, but my eyes water just enough to let Jace know how much what he said means to me.

He smiles his very rare, genuine smile, and pulls me closer to him. "I love you so much, Jace," I murmur into his neck as I inhale his scent. He smells fresh, but warm like the sun mixed with fabric softener; he has his own natural cologne.

"I love you too," he murmurs into my hair, then tilts my face up by hooking a finger under my chin. When our eyes meet, I can see the fire burning in his that are usually there when he looks at me; they are filled with love, trust, loyalty, compassion, and lust. Just looking in his eyes makes me blush deeply, and my breath hitches in my throat. As always, Jace knows exactly how to make me lose all coherent thoughts, because at that moment, he leans in ever so slowly, gauging my reaction while doing so, and I close my eyes and tilt my chin up for better access.

I almost gasp at the sensation of his soft, warm lips conforming to mine. Instead of a gasp coming out and breaking the kiss, a low moan bubbles from my throat unexpectedly. Jace's hands run over my body causing different feelings to course through me; my stomach is assaulted with butterflies that feel more like bats trying to break free, my face and neck are flushed a deep red, and everywhere we touch feels like a zap of electricity between us. My hands travel up to twine into his golden locks, while his hands run softly yet firmly down my side, feeling the curves that I've gained since training started. His hands start their ascent back up my torso, and the loose material of my top snags on his finger, pulling up slightly with his hands. His hands move further north and brush against the sides of my breasts, making me shiver and feel tingley in some new places.

After a few more times up and down my sides, and a lot more kissing, I pull back to catch my breath and remind him of the time. "Jace, it's 8:30 and my training starts at 9 on the dot," I explain reluctantly. He nods and looks off into the distance with his hands in his lap, and he seems to be zoning out.

"Can I ask you something, Clary? And I want you to be completely honest," Jace starts, and I feel my stomach lurch a little bit.

"Of course! I promise," I breathe out with a small grin and let him continue.

"Have you ever, _at all,_ felt pressure me to do anythinglike _that?" _he asks in a worried tone, and I answer honestly.

"Honestly? No, you've never made me feel pressured to have sex with you. I know you wouldn't do that to me; I'm just not ready yet, I guess. I'm sorry…" I trail off, unsure of what to say or how to go about talking about _it. _

"Clarissa Adele Fray," Jace says in a stern but soft voice, "I don't _care _about any of that. Yeah, I _want _to do it, I'm a teenage male, what do you expect?" he chuckles, making me smile, and continues to speak. "But Clary, I'll wait for you for the rest of my life if I have to, because I love you more than _anything."_

"Forever and Always?" I ask with a shy smile, keeping my eyes downcast. He taps the underside of my chin, signaling for me to look at him. I look up, and he gives me the sweetest kiss that makes my insides melt for him.

"Forever and Always, Clary," he murmurs and kisses me once more.

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Read and Review, yeah? Please? PleasePleasePlease? Yeah, I'm not ashamed to beg for reviews! They make me very happyyyy. remember guys! Reviews= Happy me= better writing= happy you! As the Robertson's would say, Happy Happy Happy!

Ideas for Malec or Sizzy fluff? Jaia? I'm also thinking Clary x Adira catfight eventually, and i have a good idea for a Taki's scene and a Kaeli x Clary interaction(not gonna be pretty) (: ideas for fillers? Let me know! You will most definitely be mentioned for your help(:

Please read and review. Any comments, questions or concerns are more than welcome in the Review section, or PM me(:

Still looking for a beta, as mentioned at the top! lol


	14. Chapter 14

**Dang! I just wrote all of this today! It's more like a filler chapter! I loved all the reviews I got last chapter, they were amazing(: Special thanks to tamani7 & an11linnie for their ideas! They are so helpful, and I can't wait to start writing the chapters with your suggestions(: Anyways, thanks to all of you who are reading and reviewing, I love you guys! Enjoy(:**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, yada yada yada, Cassie Clare does, yada yada yada, I own the plot and OC's.**

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_This is going to suck, _I think silently as I walk into the training room with Jace following closely behind. Adira was standing in the middle of the room with her hip propped to the side, and her arms crossed over her chest.

"You're late, I distinctly remember telling you to be here at 9 am _sharp_," she snaps hastily, but then composes herself when she sees that Jace is with me.

"Traffic," I shrug in annoyance. No way was I going to apologize to her for being less than 5 minutes late.

"Then I suggest you leave earliernext time," she says in a much kinder tone and waves me over to the punching bag. "I want to see how well you can spar. Do you know anything about kickboxing?" she asks.

"Yeah, I can kick-box," I answer and she nods while I put on the tight fingerless gloves that I use when sparring. I immediately start in on the bag, using the warm up routine that Jace taught me. By the end of the routine, I am still breathing at a steady pace; a couple of months ago, had I done a fraction of what I just did, I would have been wheezing for air right about now.

"Not bad," she smirks slightly, but not in a friendly way. Jace had wandered over to the rack of daggers and is now leisurely throwing them at the target. To my annoyance, Adira is now looking him up and down with a hungry expression on her face, like a lioness about to pounce on her unsuspecting prey.

"What next?" I snap in annoyance, trying to break her away from Jace. She casually looks from Jace to me, like she wasn't just staring at my boyfriend.

"Hand to hand," she says, and I can see her already flexing to attack. Luckily, I quickly scramble out of the way in an ungraceful move, but I dodge her none-the-less. She grunts in frustration when she rolls through the empty air where I was, and pops back up to face me. I now stand in a fighting stance, ready for her next move. This time, she lunges again and tackles me to the ground. I go down easily, letting her think that I'm not very good defending myself. Now she sits hovering over me with a smile of victory. I sigh in defeat, or so she thinks, but the second she relaxes, I flip her off of me and get ready to lung. She scrambles to her feet with a surprised look on her face, but quickly composes herself and gets into a stance similar to mine. I make the first move and lung towards her, but she dances gracefully from my reach. She kicks out at my feet, trying to trip me, but I jump over her foot, and get a jab into her ribs. She hisses in pain but doesn't stop. Just to show off, I jump up to one of the beams that would be almost impossible to reach if not for the extra angel blood from Valentines experiments. I hear her gasp from my crouch above, and let out an audible laugh. She looks up with fire in her eyes before jumping to a low beam, and then making her way up to my height.

"Not too bad," she comments indifferently. We crouch there for a while, sizing each other up, waiting for the other to attack. She relaxes and gives me a serious look. "Your actual combat isn't that great, but it has a lot of room for improvement. You're really good at predicting my moves though, I'll give you that much," she says, without any malice, just strictly professional.

I shrug and smile a little. "I guess I'm just good at reading people," I say. When I say this, her aura flashes brightly, and I can tell that I am making her nervous. Something still doesn't seem right about her, like she is hiding something. _I will figure her out, whatever it is, _I promise myself.

"Let's move on to swords," she suggests and I groan inwardly. I hop down and land in a crouch. When I stand up and turn I see that Jace has been watching us, and Adira is now sauntering up to him, and he just so happens to be near the stand of practice swords. I watch in disgust as she stops in front of him and flips her hair around to one shoulder, trying to flirt with him. She is trying to chat with him, but I can feel his eyes on me, probably gauging my reaction. I grab two of the wooden swords and try to communicate my plan to him with my eyes. Jace grins widely when he sees what I am up to. He starts subtly flirting with the girl, and she giggles at something he says. After I can take it no longer, I throw the sword, none too gently, towards Adira's back.

"Head's up!" I yell, and she barely has time to react before the sword gets to her. She tries catching it but fumbles and it falls to the ground. I try my best to suppress a giggle, but it comes out anyways and I turn it into a cough to cover it up. Jace, on the other hand, bursts out with laughter at the sight; just minutes before, Adira had been all high and mighty, but now she was fumbling to catch a simple practice sword.

I barely gave her enough time to pick up the sword, so when I swung the sword down on her, she barely blocked the blow. I stepped back slightly, and held myself in the stance that Jace taught me. When she went to hit the left side of my torso, I easily blocked it and our weapons scraped together as I moved the swords in an arc, to my right side, where she broke away. The wood clanked away as we tried to hit each other, but both of us only got in a couple hits.

I suggested that we work with daggers next, and that went very smoothly considering the fact that I've mastered that skill; I hit the center every single time, while Adira's daggers hit the innermost rings, but only a few even hit the bulls-eye.

By the time we are done with my assessment, both of us are sweating a little, and Jace is nowhere to be found. Adira critiques my work like a trainer should, but she slips in a snarky comment here and there. I ignore it.

"Same time tomorrow," she says in a snooty voice. "_Don't _be late," she tacks on with an eye roll, and walks out.

_Stupid bit-_ "Ah!" I groan in pain, pulling me from my thoughts. I have to sit down for a minute before the cramp in my calf subsides, and then I stretch out my legs to prevent it from happening again. After a good five minutes of stretching, I get up feeling better than before, and head to Jace's room with my bag. When I enter, he isn't there, but I shrug to myself and go to his bathroom to shower.

The warm water running down my body relaxes me further and I let my eyes close for a minute, savoring the serene feeling that fills me. With a sigh, I finish washing my hair and wrap myself in a thick, fluffy towel. I wrap another towel into my hair when I get the overwhelming feeling to draw. I grab my bag from the bathroom floor, and rifle through it for my art supplies. Sitting down on the closed toilet lid, I let my hands wander on a fresh page, letting the pencil go where it may. This is my favorite way to draw, because I could relax and let my mind wander aimlessly while my hands moved of their own accord; the end product was always a surprise.

When my hands stopped, I rested them on top of the sketch pad, seeing that they were covered with shades of green, black, gold, and silver charcoals. I set the picture carefully down on the counter and wash my hands clean before picking it back up again. At a first glance, all I can see is a blob of green in the center, fading to silver and gold, with a nasty gray overlay, like a web covering the beautiful green color.

Upon closer inspection, there is the faint outline of a girl with long, light-colored hair. The charcoal colors make it hard to tell the identity of the woman, but I think it is Adira. _Her aura is green, so it _could _be her,_ I ponder, wondering why I drew her. _Maybe I'll talk to Magnus? _I ask myself. Thinking of it all gives me a headache, so I close the book, along with my eyes, and take a deep breath.

I change into my flowy white graphic blouse that has a little red bowtie and suspenders printed on it, courtesy of Simon, along with my shorts and black Converse High-tops with the tiny white dots all over them. I unwrap the towel from my head and use my brush to attempt to tame the damp curls, but it only makes it frizzier. With a sigh, I squeeze some anti-frizz cream that Izzy gave me into my palm, and smooth it throughout my hair. It actually works and smooths the frizz a little, surprisingly enough.

Happy with my appearance, I gather my stuff into my canvas messenger bag, and putting my phone in my back pocket, I leave my bag in Jace's room and go on my search to find stopping by the Library and checking the Training room again, I make my way towards the Institute's large kitchen. Along the way, I decide to shoot Magnus a text.

_Hey Mags, I was wondering what other side effects can come with the Scorpios poison. Get back to me when you can. -C_

I put my phone away again and round the corner to the kitchen. A girl is giggling, and I also hear Jace's voice. _I swear on the Angel, If that girl is flirting with Jace again, I'll…_ I let the threat trail away to open the swinging door and walk in. Adira is standing next to Jace, closer than necessary, and laughing at something he said. To top it off, her hand is tentatively touching his arm in a flirtatious manner. I can tell that she knows I entered the room, but she is obviously ignoring me.

When Jace sees me, his face lights up like the sun and he strides to me, brushing Adira off like the nuisance she is. Seeing him light up like that and coming immediately to me to embrace me dispels my jealousy easily, and I smile as he picks me up and swings me around in a hug.

"Someone's happy to see me!" I giggle as he puts me down, and I can feel Adira staring daggers into the back of my head. I lean up on my tip toes and wrap my arms around Jace's neck, further emphasizing my relationship with him. He leans down the rest of the way to give me a chaste kiss, but I let my tongue slide across his bottom lip, causing him to grip me tighter. I let go of his lips after a couple second, and return to me feet.

"I'm always happy to see you, Clary," he whispers sweetly and takes my hand.

We turn back towards Adira, and her face is set in a stony mask, but I can tell that she is mad. I throw her a triumphant smirk, and she rolls her eyes and turns to get a glass of water. Jace was well aware of the exchange and he smirked at me with a raised eyebrow in question. I give him a sweet smile and a shrug before leading him out of the door by the hand.

"See you later, Adira!" I call over my shoulder as the door shut, and I could swear that I heard her muttering something under her breath. It sounded like it could rhyme with "witch", but I'm pretty sure that's not what she said. _Oh well. _

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**I hope y'all enjoyed! check out my Polyvore for the outfits described, the link is on my profile!(:**

**Any questions, comments, or concerns? Suggestions, anything? R&R(: **


	15. Chapter 15

**SO! Here is the next chapter! I got great reviews on the last, and I thank you guys soooo much for your support! It really makes me smile, and it keeps me going. **

**I even started on a new TMI fic, and I am going to post it after this. The name is currently Sweet Revenge, but that may change through the course of that story.**

**I got this one review from a guest, and I would like to say thank you for taking your time to review. They asked for longer chapters, but honestly it's really hard doing this much and making it decent. I always try to keep each chapter around 2k words, but again, it's really hard. Sorry if the length doesn't change, but I can try. No promises, though!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing by Cassie Clare!**

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After a day spent with Jace, I had finally relaxed a little after the bitterness of my first training session with Adira. I think that I held my own pretty damn well, but that could also be the extra angel blood in me, or the fact that I could read her like an open book and manage to defend myself, if not attack her.

Then just before I left with Jace, after training, she called me a bitch under her breath. I didn't really care at first, but it stuck with me all day, nagging at my thoughts. Then again, what reason do I have to feel bad for being upfront about my relationship with Jace? He's my boyfriend and she was unmistakably hitting on him.

Thankfully, Jace kept my mind busy for the whole day, and well into the night; my mom and Luke even let him stay for dinner. Jace is not the best dinner guest to bring home to your parents; he's not really the kind of guy you introduce to your parents _at all, _but he's getting there. _If only he could drop the innuendos, and maybe tone down the sarcasm a bit. Then he could very well be a pleasant dinner guest, _I think with a small smile. Jace isn't someone who can change overnight; in all actuality, I don't think I would want him to change much anyways. Without his humor, he wouldn't be the same. Sure, he would still be sweet and extremely gorgeous, but it wouldn't be _him. _

Sometimes he even dramatizes little things, just to make me smile. Today, he took me to my favorite spot in Central Park. The area is a ways off from the concrete paths, in a shaded area near a small pond that just so happens to house ducks. He knew for a fact that there would more than likely be ducks, but when we got to 'our spot', as he dubbed it, he freaked out.

_"What the hell were you thinking Clary?!" _he screamed at me in mock horror._ "These beasts are not meant to be models for your art!" _

_"Hey, you're the one that brought me here_," I laughed back at him, but his face remained serious.

_"That is no excuse! You shouldn't come here anymore, especially not alone!" _he cried out in worry_. "Giving them your leftover stale bread does nothing to appease the beast within. I swear, Satan himself created them."_

_"Jace, seriously, shut it!" _I manage to gasp out in between my fit of giggles.

_"Just you wait, Clary, the time will come when they show their evil side. They're not as cute as they seem! Then you'll come crying to me," _he said seriously.

_"Mhmm," _I hummed to him with a large smile on my face_. "You admit to them being cute, though!" _I mocked him for a while with that one, but he refused to give in to his mistake, as always.

The rest of our day went by in a relatively normal conduct, something that I desperately needed. When we went to Java Jones for coffee and lunch, he even made up a game in which I had to read the aura of the person he chose, and he would make up a story based off of their vibes.

At one point he chose a bottle-blonde Barbie doll of a girl with her makeup caked on like he was trying to hide her face; even Isabelle would find her distasteful. I rolled my eyes and concentrated on reading the girl. Honestly, it wasn't even hard, and Jace probably didn't need me to tell him. The way she held herself, with her shirt dangerously low-cut, and a very transparent pair of leggings, along with her constant attempt at a seductive looking face, she all but screamed, '_Here I am, ready for your taking! Free sex!' _When I told Jace this, he gave a devilish grin and I knew he was going to do something stupid.

He said, "_Well she sounds like she would make a great friend! I should go introduce myself," _but he barely got halfway out of his seat before I hit him in the shin so hard, he had to suppress a yelp of pain.

"_Oops, my bad," _I apologized with an innocent smile and he narrowed his eyes at me before returning to his coffee and continuing the game.

We hadn't even noticed that it was dinnertime until my mom called out for us to sit down. We had hung out in my room talking, with the door open of course, about anything and everything. Having him around so casually was something I could definitely get used to.

That specific train of thought led me into another, much more serious one. I couldn't help but think about how relaxed and perfect we were together, and I wondered what it would be like in the future, in our own home with little Mini-Jace's and Mini-Me's running around.

That brings me back to the present, laying in my bed drawing before I go to sleep as usual, like a journal is for other girls. The sketch before my eyes brings joy to me, and it surely has to reflect in my face, because it is my future. _I hope it comes true someday._

The picture holds two very familiar figures, aged a little, but unmistakably the same people; Jace and I cuddled together on a love seat, with two small children on the ground playing together. The younger one, the girl, looks to be about four years old and has my flaming red hair, and green eyes with golden flecks, a bit of both Jace and me. The boy is slightly older, but is still a child nonetheless, and has his father's golden hair and eyes; the splitting image of Jace. Through the window above the couch, the hustle bustle of the city could be seen, making me smile at the thought of raising my children in the same place that I was born and raised.

That night, I fell asleep to peaceful thoughts, and slept uninterrupted throughout the night.

* * *

_OMG! I have good news! Get here early so we can talk! –Izzy_

I sigh as I put my phone down and decide against hitting the snooze button and sleeping in since Izzy needs to talk. With a groan, I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom to get ready for the day. By the time I am done showering, brushing my hair and teeth, and packing extra clothes, I walk to the kitchen to say good morning to everyone, but Jocelyn and Luke are nowhere in sight. I peek my head into their bedroom, to no avail, then hop down the steps into the bookstore to check there, and find that empty as well. Only when I go back to the kitchen to grab an apple do I see the note left on the counter with a small plastic rectangle with it.

_Luke and I went out to do some shopping. We'll be home later. Since you're almost 18, we figured you are responsible enough for a credit card. Have fun with Isabelle today, and use the card wisely, Clary. Love, Mom & Luke_

Along with the note is the account information and my limit, so I put the information in my wallet with an appreciative, yet wary grin. _What is Isabelle planning? _I wonder with an audible groan before donning my thick parka and gloves, and heading out into the freezing January weather.

The second I step out of the elevator, Church meows grumpily at me and trots off without a second glance. He probably expects me to follow him, so I do with the assumption that Isabelle sent for me.

Lo and behold, the chubby fur ball leads me straight to Isabelle's bedroom door that is adorned with a sparkly black name plate.

"Come in!" her voice tinkles from behind the thick wooden door.

"Hey, it's me. You wanted to talk?" I ask sheepishly.

"Yes, yes sit down!" she demands with an enthusiastic expression, so I comply and sit gingerly on the edge of her vanity stool. Before I can speak, she gushes out her news to me like a volcano that has been waiting to erupt.

"My mom contacted the Clave, and guess what?" she asks in an animated voice, but still not letting me answer. "They set the date, so we're doing the ceremony this Saturday!"

My eyes widen in unexpected delight as the words sunk in. _Isabelle is going to be my parabatai, the other edge to a double-sided sword. _"Izzy!" I squeal in a very un-Clary like excited voice. "Are you serious? They can do it that soon?" I ask with slight skepticism, despite my delight. I didn't expect it to go through that quickly.

"Why would I lie?!" she shouts with excitement, and I can't help but smile. "I would never lie if a shopping trip could come out of it. Use your head, Clary!" she giggles and pulls me into a loose hug.

"I'm going to guess that my afternoon is reserved now?" I ask rhetorically; of course Isabelle Lightwood is going to drag me shopping for our ceremony dresses.

"Oh yes, don't make any plans! You are mine this afternoon!" she smiled with her hands clasped in front of her in excitement.

"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill by now," I roll my eyes playfully. "Come with me to the training room?" I ask, except it isn't really a question. Best friends tend to accompany each other everywhere, so I didn't really have to ask.

She happily complied, as always, and let me leave my messenger bag in her room. She kicked off the conversation by shooting questions at me that I would really rather not answer.

"Sooo, what do you think of Addie?" she asks, drawing out the 'o' in so.

"Addie? Seriously Iz?" I ask in sheer disbelief. "I don't think much of her. At all."

"Jeez, I didn't know you dislike her _that_ much. I know she kind of replaced Jace, and all but-" I cut her off with a simple hand wave, and her mouth snaps shut with an audible snap, and an annoyed look at being cut off.

"It's not because she replaced Jace as my trainer or whatever. It's probably for the best that i'm not distracted," I explain with an apologetic look. "It's her attitude. She has something about her that just screams 'I am holier than thou' and it's really annoying."

After a moment of mulling it over, Isabelle replies. "She hasn't been like that around me, but I trust your opinion. What's her aura like?"

"It _would _be a gorgeous green," I pause to find the right words. "It's not, though. It has a sort of dirty web over it. It's dark and creepy."

"Seriously? That's weird. I guess I just didn't pay much attention," Isabelle shrugs and a baleful grin slowly spreads across her face. "I'm up for playing detective, if you are, Clare-Bear!"

"See, _this _is why we are best friends," I smile back and link arms with the tall, lean woman walking by my side. We walk into the training room just like that, pulling in a confused look from Adira. I ignored it, and we started the session, this time with Izzy joining in.

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**Read and review my lovelies! Don't forget to check out the new story that I am posting!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! WOW! I got great reviews last chapter(posted yesterday) AND a lot of you checked out my other new story Sweet Revenge, so I wanted to give you a little something extra(: Sorry, It's a little short, but it IS just kind of an extra. As soon as I find ceremony dresses for Clary and Izzy on Polyvore, I will write about their shopping trip and the bonding ceremony! Not sure if they will be together. **

**Disclaimer: I own only the plot and OC's!**

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(Izzy POV)

When Clary and I entered the training room, arms linked and giggling like maniacs, Adira gave us an odd look. Her face screwed up into a small, distasteful frown and her eyes gave a condescending glare; Clary was definitely right about the 'holier-than-thou' attitude she gave off. _I'll just have to show her how we play in here New York, _I think with a small smirk.

"Will you be joining us today, Isabelle?" she asked, feigning kind curiosity.

"Of course! We _are _soon-to-be parabatai!" I reply, matching her tone and plastering on my own phony smile.

With a curt nod, she turned and grabbed a wooden practice sword and swung it around in her hand, perspicuously trying to show off to us. I roll my eyes, Clary being the only one catching the movement and trying to suppress a giggle.

I lazily let my whip slither down from its place on my arm, and flick it behind Adira to wrap around a shining double-bladed sword, and it is in my hand in a flash.

"Why don't we play with real weapons? We're not twelve," I grin idly at the others.

"Clary won't stand a chance. She doesn't have the skills," Adira points out with a gesture towards the sharp sword.

"This little red-head, no offense," I throw out towards Clary, "Has been through more than you, I guarantee it. She has rescued her mother who was kidnapped by her psychotic father; fought against him _and _her nutcase brother, and watched the Angel Raziel _obliterate _Valentine!" by the end of the rant I was almost screaming at the blonde bimbo for being such a bitch to Clary. It was unnecessary, and rude, and she deserves every bit of the rage I just inflicted.

Adira stood there with her mouth gaping wide open in a state of mental rejection over my little spout of emotion. Clary was a tomato shade of red at the moment, but I paid little attention to her. I waited for Adira's reaction.

After I had finally calmed down, Adira seemed ready to speak. Her face was set in a complete stone mask; unreadable.

"No training today," she said in an emotionless voice. She put her wooden sword up and walked over to me, merely pausing on her way out. "Your choice in parabatai is poor. You seriously just downgraded yourself, Isabelle," she whispered in a deadly quiet voice so that only I could hear her. Instead of answering, I stalked past her, bumping her shoulder hard with mine, and dragging Clary out of the room with me.

"That stupid _bitch_," I hiss at Clary, still holding her wrist in my hand. "Where does she get off being so damn _insolent?"_ I shout out to nobody in particular.

"I don't know what her problem is, Izzy. Thank you for that, though," Clary smiles at me, instantly dimming my anger.

"Anytime, Clare-Bear," I smile back and hug the short girl. "Now, go get changed. We have some shopping to do!"

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(Clary POV)

My face instantly dropped after Isabelle and I walked into the training room. Adira stood there with an expectant look on her face. When she saw Iz and I laughing, she rolled her eyes and gave us a look that made me feel inferior. _Hopefully Isabelle will see what I mean about her. _

She asked Isabelle if she was going to train with us, which I assumed she was. Izzy isn't one to sit on the sidelines and watch others have fun; she'll dive in headfirst is she can, especially when it comes to training. If there's one thing that girl loves more than fashion, it's dangerous objects and kicking ass.

Isabelle finally caught on to the other girls attitude, because she plastered on her own fake smile and answered in a very insincerely sweet voice.

"Of course! We are soon-to-be parabatai!" she exclaimed with zeal. She overdid it a little, but she got her point across that we were friends; _best _friends.

Adira nodded and turned to the practice swords and picked out a heavy-looking long one, which she proceeded to spin around. Her aura even swelled red in sureness before returning to normal. _Damn show-off. _

Isabelle rolled her heavily lined brown eyes, causing me to snort. I quickly cover it up with a cough and nobody seems to notice. _Score one for Clary! _

Isabelle said back in the hallway that we could do some snooping, and that was sounding better and better. I knew nothing about this girl, and she sure wasn't going to open up and spill her life story to us. _Maybe Alec or Maryse will know something about her, _I ponder.

In a flash, Isabelle is holding a beautifully crafted two-sided in her hands, and sizing Adira up. "Why don't we play with real weapons? We're not twelve," she says, pushing her limit. Adira's colors flashed again, but it was too quick to interpret.

"Clary won't stand a chance. She doesn't have the skills," Adira quips back, choosing to offend me purposefully. My jaw tightens at her words, and my face reddens in anger but I hold my tongue. _She's just trying to spite me,_ I think, trying to calm my anger so I don't snap at the bitch.

Luckily, I don't have to say a word; Isabelle lets it all flow in a river of white-hot anger.

"This little red-head, no offense," Izzy pauses to glance at me, "Has been through more than you, I guarantee it," she pauses once more and I watch Adira's normal green & gray aura grow darker and darker with each passing moment.

"She has rescued her mother who was kidnapped by her psychotic father; fought against him _and _her nutcase brother, and watched the Angel Raziel _obliterate _Valentine!"

Livid. That is what Isabelle is right now, she's absolutely livid at the girl in front of her. Her face is red with anger and you could practically see the steam coming out of her ears, like in an old cartoon, and she is shouting by the time she finishes.

Adira's aura is now pitch black, and I gape at her in horror at the hideous change before my eyes. I was the only one who could see her for what she really was at the moment. Her eyes flickered to mine and widened slightly before freezing. Her face turned into an unreadable mask, and her body stiffened. Izzy probably thinks it was because of her rant. Even the girls odd aura froze amidst the swirls of black that surrounded her; she froze her emotions, and locked them away. Now, I had to look closely and concentrate, like I used to have to do to peel the glamour off of the Institute. I tried so hard to peel back her wall layer by layer, but I couldn't reach her. I got close, and I could see the shimmery green faintly, but she guarded it well.

When Adira had her emotions reeled in, she spoke up in an icy tone. "No training today." When she started walking, she stopped by Isabelle and leaned in close, whispering something I couldn't hear. Izzy stiffened immediately, and pushed past her, bumping her shoulder, and grabbed my wrist before dragging us out.

"That stupid bitch!" she whisper shouted when we were far from the training room. "Where does she get off being so damn insolent?" she raged to me.

"I don't know what her problem is, Izzy. Thank you for that though," I smile and her anger diminishes a little more. By this time we are back in her room, and she sends me off to get changed, using her nickname for me; Clare-Bear.

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**Thanks for reading guys, and thanks to tamani7 for the "you just downgraded yourself" part between Izzy and Adira! **

**Please review and check out my other works! I have a songfic called What Now, and another story called Sweet Revenge!**

**Love you guys! -Emily**


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